In this paper, with the goal of addressing the high early-detection miss rate of colorectal cancer (CRC) polyps during a colonoscopy procedure, we propose the design and fabrication of a unique inflatable vision-based tactile sensing balloon (VTSB). The proposed soft VTSB can readily be integrated with the existing colonoscopes and provide a radiation-free, safe, and high-resolution textural mapping and morphology characterization of CRC polyps. The performance of the proposed VTSB has been thoroughly characterized and evaluated on four different types of additively manufactured CRC polyp phantoms with three different stiffness levels. Additionally, we integrated the VTSB with a colonoscope and successfully performed a simulated colonoscopic procedure inside a tube with a few CRC polyp phantoms attached to its internal surface.

翻译：本文针对结直肠镜检查过程中结直肠癌息肉早期检测漏诊率高的问题，提出了一种基于视觉的独特充气触觉感应球囊的设计与制造方案。所提出的软体VTSB可便捷地与现有结肠镜集成，为结直肠癌息肉提供无辐射、安全、高分辨率的纹理映射与形态表征。本研究通过四种不同刚度水平、采用增材制造工艺制备的结直肠癌息肉模型，对VTSB的性能进行了系统表征与评估。此外，我们将VTSB与结肠镜集成，并在内壁附着若干结直肠癌息肉模型的模拟管腔中成功开展了模拟结肠镜检查操作。