Compact wireless laparoscopic device for single-port laparoscopic surgery

With visual data from laparoscopes, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgeries have several advantages over open surgeries. Usually, rigid endoscopes are preferred for laparoscopic procedures; however, rigidity limits organ access, and other devices or medical staff are often required to hold rigid endoscopes in place, hindering the surgeon’s movement. Furthermore, the dissonance between the laparoscopic image and controls results in a steep learning curve for laparoscopy. Despite these limitations, few attempts have been made to design flexible laparoscopes that are easy to use. To develop a flexible laparoscope that is self-immobilizing and spontaneous to use takes up minimal space, and causes minimal inconvenience to the surgeon’s movement while maintaining acceptable flexibility. We developed a compact, flexible laparoscope that can be controlled wirelessly. A wireless Android device receives visual data from the laparoscope over a local Wi-Fi connection; it displays images and enables control via buttons on an app. Motors actuate articulation of a backbone continuum structure in two dimensions and protrusion into the port. We evaluated the performance of the device in a laparoscopic phantom, the strength of the Wi-Fi connection, and the ease of cleaning. The flexible endoscope is compact compared with a conventional laparoscope holder. Simulation with a laparoscopic training phantom proved that the device could image the interior of the abdominal cavity while avoiding obstacles. The articulating ability helped the user to navigate various positions without the surgeon’s relocation. The device was helpful for simulated single-port laparoscopic surgery. With the device, fewer resources are needed for laparoscopic surgery, potentially promoting better accessibility of laparoscopic surgery and eventually leading to point-of-care laparoscopic surgery. [Display omitted] •A compact, portable, and flexible articulable laparoscope is developed.•The system provides wireless visualization and control on a commodity tablet device.•The system has been demonstrated to be effective for capturing images and remote operation in a laparoscopic phantom.•The laparoscopic endoscope module has a footprint of 20 cm by 20 cm and weighs 1 kg which allows single-port surgery.