A Rotary Actuation Strategy for Altering Magnetically Controlled Capsule Endoscope Motion State

The magnetically controlled capsule endoscope (MCCE) is an effective tool for the examination of the digestive tract, as it is controlled by an external magnetic field to achieve active movement. Existing rotational actuation strategies are primarily focused on the study of fixed actuation angles, with a lack of analysis of the impact of the range of actuation angles in motion control. This letter proposes an actuation strategy based on a rotating magnetic field to analyze the critical range of the actuation angle for the MCCE to achieve effective actuation and uniform advancement in the intestine. Simulation and experimental results show that the MCCE can be accelerated from a stationary state to a maximum speed at the maximum actuation angle. In experiments in silicone intestines and isolated porcine intestines, their maximum movement speeds reached 36.5 mm/s and 21.4 mm/s, respectively. In addition, the effectiveness of the actuation strategy was verified based on an adaptive actuation system. In the future, our actuation strategy and adaptive system can be combined with image or ultrasound automated diagnostics, which is expected to provide physicians with better tools for digestive examinations.