Prototype Epicardial Crawling Device for Intrapericardial Intervention on the Beating heart

Abstract

This paper describes the development and preliminary testing of a device to facilitate minimally invasive beating-heart intrapericardial interventions. We propose the concept of an endoscopic robotic device that adheres to the epicardium using suction, and navigates by crawling like an inchworm to any position on the surface under the control of a surgeon. This approach obviates cardiac stabilization, lung deflation, differential lung ventilation, and reinsertion of laparoscopic tools to access different treatment sites, thus offering the possibility of reduced trauma to the patient. The device has a working channel through which various tools can be introduced for treatment. The current prototype has demonstrated successful prehension, turning, and locomotion on the beating heart during a limited number of trials in a porcine model.