A new 3D-printed tadpole-like medical device swims inside the organ of a patient and transmits video of what it sees, said researchers. The new device called the Tadpole Endoscope (TE) takes inspiration from the mechanics that tadpoles use to swim and is like a micro-robot fish with a camera which is swallowed by the patient. The Tadpole Endoscope stands out from existing wireless capsule endoscopes with its addition of a soft tail that allows it to be guided around the stomach remotely by a doctor, allowing for more comprehensive imaging and accurate location of problems within the body.
Cancers of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, including esophagus cancer, stomach cancer and colon cancer, rank as the second most prevalent among all types of cancers in the world. Three procedures are required for the traditional method of diagnosing cancers in the GI tract: esophagus cancer and…
