Miniature in vivo robots for NOTES

Eliminating all external incisions would be a significant step in reducing the invasiveness of surgical procedures. Accessing the peritoneal cavity through a natural orifice, as in Natural Orifice Translumenal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES), promises distinct patient advantages, but is surgically challenging. Performing laparoscopic surgeries through a single transumbilical incision is also gaining renewed interest as a potential bridge to enabling NOTES. Both of these types of surgical procedures are inherently limited by working with multiple instruments through a constrained insertion point. New technologies are necessary to overcome these limitations and provide the surgeon with adequate visual feedback and triangulation. Miniature in vivo robots provide a unique approach by providing a platform that is completely inserted into the peritoneal cavity to enable minimally invasive surgery. This chapter describes the design and feasibility testing of miniature in vivo robots that can provide stable visualization and manipulation platforms for NOTES and single incision surgery.