Evaluation of Endoscope Control Assessment System

Colonoscopy procedures are commonly performed to screen the colon for cancer-causing polyps. These procedures require highly trained practitioners and extensive training is necessary to perform proficiently. The Endoscopic Control Assessment System (ECAS) was developed to train and assess practitioners using a magnetic tracker and camera imaging. The magnetic tracker is used to track the tip motion of an endoscope during the insertion and retraction procedure of colonoscopy. In addition, camera imaging is used to track the angle of the control knobs during the procedure. The colon deflection of a manikin during a colonoscopy was successfully tracked to be averaged as 31, 54, and 10 mm for the three trials. Visual processing showed the control knob motion could be successfully tracked during a manikin colonoscopy procedure. The ECAS system was shown to be able to successfully measure user inputs during a manikin procedure.