A Vanderbilt Institute for Surgery and Engineering (VISE) research team is conducting the first phase 1 clinical trial of a magnetic, flexible endoscope that has the potential to provide a safer alternative to standard colonoscopy, particularly for individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
The in-human studies of a magnetically actuated robotic platform for colonoscopy developed by the group, including demonstration of intelligent control with assistive autonomy using magnetic fields, began this month at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.