SBIR Phase I: Novel, Non-Manual Solution for Mitigating Endoscope Looping in Riskier Colonoscopies

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发一种新型腹部压缩装置的功能原型，该装置可以防止结肠镜检查过程中的内窥镜循环，这是一种常见的并发症，会导致疼痛、手术失败和增加肠道穿孔的风险。循环通常是由护士手动对腹部施加外部压力来应对，这种方法效果不一致，并可能导致工作人员受伤。本项目提出了一种新的压缩装置，它提供了一种安全有效的替代人工腹部压力来改善结肠镜检查结果。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）一期项目将解决与设计结肠镜压缩装置相关的技术挑战，解决现有装置在低体重指数（BMI）和低腹部组织体积患者中的缺陷。该项目将首先通过使用压力制图来描述现有结肠镜加压装置在高BMI和低BMI患者中施加的压力差异，从而实现这一目标。这项研究的结果将用于设计一种可调节和可重复使用的插入系统，该系统可在结肠镜检查期间使用，以施加不同数量的聚焦压力。将生产一个原型装置，并在优化的压力范围内对局部压力进行测试，以防止低bmi患者的循环。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a functional prototype for a novel abdominal compression device that prevents endoscope looping during colonoscopy, a common complication that causes pain, procedure failure, and increased risk of bowel perforation. Looping is typically countered with manual application of external pressure to the abdomen by nurses, which is inconsistently effective and can lead to staff injury. This project proposes a novel compression device that provides a safe and effective alternative to manual abdominal pressure to improve colonoscopy outcomes. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will address the technical challenges associated with engineering a colonoscopy compression device addressing the deficiencies of existing devices in patients with low body mass index (BMI) and low abdominal tissue volume. This project will accomplish this by first characterizing the differences in pressure applied by existing colonoscopy compression devices in high versus low BMI patients using pressure mapping. The results of this study will be utilized to design an adjustable and re-usable insert system that can be used during colonoscopy to apply different amounts of focused pressure. A prototype device will be produced and tested for localized pressure within a pressure range optimize to prevent looping in a low-BMI patient.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.