However, soon there could be a better option. Researchers are developing technology which could perform these procedures in less invasive ways than surgery or esophageal laparoscopy.
The latest development from a collaboration between MIT, the University of Sheffield and the Tokyo Institute of Technology is an origami robot which can be swallowed safely and easily, allowing it to perform tasks inside the stomach.
MIT has been researching origami robots for several years. A prototype developed in 2010 consists of a plastic sheet studded with actuators, allowing it to fold, and magnets, enabling it to hold creased segments together.
The prototype could fold itself into an “airplane” or “boat” shape along flexible pre-indicated creases, similar to how an origami folder might fold a piece of paper, without cutting or tearing it, in order to create the desired shape. Since this first prototype, origami robots have become smaller and more capable.
The origami robot maneuvers with a combination of water propulsion, like a swimmer, and a stick-slip friction motion similar to walking. Movement of the robot is controlled by magnetic fields applied outside the body, eliminating the need for an incision or laparoscopy in order to perform tasks within the stomach.
The research team demonstrated the robot’s capabilities by performing a trial within a synthetic stomach. The successful trial consisted of using the robot to retrieve a button battery, an item which is swallowed annually by over 3,500 people in the U.S., as an indication of the robot’s potential medical applications.
Further development of this project will likely involve advanced trials to prepare for this type of origami robot design to be used in medical practice.
More information about this project can be found at the website for MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.