As if the idea of colonoscopies didn’t sound uncomfortable enough, now researchers are developing self-propelling probes that crawl inside the colon and grip its sides with the aid of sticky films. Still, these slithery devices could lead to better, safer, more comfortable colonoscopies to help uncover cancerous polyps. Cancer of the colon and rectum is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States and the nation’s second most common cause of cancer death. The chances of beating or avoiding this cancer greatly increase with early detection. Colonoscopies see inside the colon by pushing an endoscope through it — a long tube equipped with lenses and light. The hope is to detect cancerous polyps early. Although colonoscopies are considered relatively safe, there is a 1-in-500 risk the procedure could damage the colon. Also, the discomfort often linked with pushing the device through the colon can lead to patients calling off colonoscopies before they are complete. Instead of pushing an endoscope through the colon, researchers now are developing endoscopes that can pull themselves. “By pulling themselves instead of being pushed from behind, there is no risk for stretching the colonic wall outward and causing painful cramps,” explained researcher Dimitra Dodou, a chemical engineer at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. The main challenge to building such devices involves clutching onto the slippery walls of the colon in a way that does not damage them.
Please click on the link below to read the MSNBC News article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23833830/
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