Colorectal cancer is a major health issue, and screening programmes aim to detect early signs for improved cancer treatment. Although traditional colonoscopy is effective, it is also invasive and can be uncomfortable. Video capsule endoscopy (VCE) has emerged as a less invasive alternative but lacks active control, resulting in higher omission rates and risk of capsule retention.
I will present a proof-of-concept method for simultaneous localisation and actuation to enhance diagnostic accuracy and manoeuvrability of VCE. The system integrates a Hall-effect sensor array for magnetic field sensing as a source of a dipole-model-based localisation algorithm. The capsule is actuated using a single rotating permanent magnet on a 6-degree-of-freedom robot arm. The interference of the magnet is compensated, which enables simultaneous magnetic capsule localisation and actuation. The hybrid closed-loop system allows clinicians to actively steer and investigate suspicious regions, reducing omission rates while improving patient comfort.
Through in vitro and ex vivo experiments, the magnetic localisation is validated, and effective magnetic orientation control is demonstrated.