Design of a user interface for intuitive colonoscope control

The goal of this study is to improve the efficiency and efficacy of the standard colonoscopy procedure. This is done by addressing the intuitiveness of colonoscope control. For this purpose an interface in the form of a grip was designed that allows the user to intuitively steer and drive the colonoscope. The Grip controls the orientation of the tip as if the colonoscope were a stiff instrument that pivots at the anus of a patient. To test the principle, experiments were conducted on a simulator operated by novice subjects. Initial experiments show a significant decrease in introduction time of 156 seconds (p<0.005). This technology will enhance current colonoscopy practice and open up possibilities for future applications of colonoscopy.