February 8, 2019
Keio University School of Medicine
A research group led by Professor Yuko Kitagawa of the Department of Surgery (General and Gastroenterological) at the Keio University School of Medicine has completed a non-clinical prototype model of a Flexible Endoscopic Surgical System (FESS), which combines flexible endoscope and robotic technologies, fields in which Japan is a world leader. This system has been developed under an industry-academia collaboration system by the Keio University School of Medicine, the Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University Hospital, and manufacturers.
The FESS houses a flexible endoscopic camera and treatment tools such as forceps within a pliable tube. This soft tube is inserted into the body, and the endoscope and forceps are deployed at the affected area to perform procedures. The camera and treatment tools can be moved independently of each other. Because the insertion part is flexible, it can bend to reach deep areas of the body that are difficult to approach linearly with rigid endoscopes or existing robot-assisted surgery. Furthermore, with the support of robotic technology, it allows for more precise operations compared to manual laparoscopic surgery.
To support safer and more reliable surgery for the operating physician, the endoscope is equipped with a 3D near-infrared fluorescence observation function that can visualize and overlay the structure of organs hidden by fat.
Although the advent of rigid endoscopic surgical robots has advanced minimally invasive and high-precision surgery, open surgery remains the mainstream for many conditions, such as pancreatic cancer, where surgery with a rigid endoscope is difficult. It is expected that this technology will make endoscopic surgery possible even for these diseases.
Going forward, we will accelerate our efforts in industry-academia collaboration and aim for early commercialization.
For the full press release, please see below.