Moving mechanism with thin artificial muscle for abdominal push device in stomach X-ray examination

Abstract

In the X-ray examination, pushing the stomach makes barium spread, then clear fold image and lesion of stomach can be taken. But, the pushing device for prone position is not implemented on conventional stomach X-ray systems. The inspection time becomes longer because the adjustment of the pushing quantity and the pushing position is difficult by the conventional technique. In this research, the moving mechanism for pushing position using the McKibben type artificial muscles has been developed for the purpose of shortening of the inspection time and reducing of the burden on patients. By controlling the length of artificial muscles which are attached to four places of the abdominal push mechanism, the pushing position is adjusted. We observed pushing force loading on the abdomen during fundamental experiments using the device, then the movement of the pushing position was confirmed.