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Research and Development
In the MISSC engineering team, we study engineering principles and methods for the development of medical instrument,
diagnostic and therapeutic devices, and other technologies related to minimally invasive surgery. Our research centers on
3 broad themes: surgical robotics, therapeutic capsule endoscope, and surgical accessories.
 Surgical Robotics
Conventional cancer surgery requires making a huge wound to gain access to internal organs. This often leads to substantial
disability and complications. Thanks to the development of minimally invasive surgery by which many cancers can now be
accessed by inserting a flexible endoscope into the body through a natural opening or a small wound. Despite such advances
in reaching the diseased organ, using conventional endoscope to remove cancer is still largely constrained by the limited
degree-of-freedom (DOF) of endoscopic instruments. Therefore, a multi-DOF robot that is developed to work on a flexible
endoscope is a major advancement in minimally invasive surgery.
Therapeutic Capsule Endoscope
Wireless capsule endoscope is a revolutionary approach for diagnosis of small bowel pathologies. It enables the non-invasive
examination of the gastrointestinal (GI) tracts, preventing the risks and discomfort during conventional endoscopy operation.
Nevertheless, currently available wireless capsule endoscopes are mostly passive devices with only a single function of image
capturing. In our project, we proposed a novel inflatable module that can be implemented into the wireless capsule to provide
a therapeutic function for hemostasis in the GI tracts. The proposed inflatable module enables the development of a closed-loop
system based on a body sensor network for potential early treatment of gastrointestinal bleeding in health informatics.
Surgical Accessories - Liver Retractor
Liver retraction in single incision bariatric surgery is a challenge for many surgeons, as liver necrosis was found to be a common
complication following laparoscopic liver retraction. Several studies have been performed to evaluate the possible cause of liver
injury after laparoscopic liver retraction, and it has been concluded that such injury is the result of prolonged liver retraction
time, and the retraction fatty liver using the currently available laparoscopic liver retractor. In order to reduce the risk of
hepatic trauma, to enhance the visualization of the gastroesophageal junction, and to simplify the liver retraction process, a new
liver retractor is being developed. This project is developing in collaboration with MediConcepts.
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