F112006 Pneumatic Soft Actuators for Medical Applications

Abstract

Pneumatic soft actuators have high potential to be applied to medical devices, because they are safe mechanically, light weight and low cost. We have developed several pneumatic soft actuators which are configured with rubber materials. In this paper two of them for medical devices are reported. One is the rubber tube actuator for colonoscopy. This actuator is tube shape and is wound around an endoscope. Then by the actuator, the endoscope can have self-propellant function. Experimentally the effectiveness of the actuator have been confirmed using the colon phantom. The other is the balloon actuator for stomach X-ray examination. The actuator is used for pushing the abdomen for taking clear x-ray images. Actually the actuator was used in X-ray mass examination in a hospital. The number of the examinee was 56, and in 40 cases clearer x-images were able to be obtained by the actuator compared with the conventional method.