Design and Evaluation of a Teleoperated Robotic System for ERCP Cannulation.

BACKGROUND

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) cannulation requires precise manipulation under fluoroscopic guidance. This study proposes a teleoperated robotic system for ERCP cannulation and evaluates its simulator-based performance.

METHODS

A teleoperated robotic system incorporating a Chebyshev-based mechanism and a ring-type master interface was developed. Manipulation performance was assessed using Fitts' law-based insertion experiments, catheter-tip trajectory analysis, and a simulator-based cannulation task.

RESULTS

Robotic manipulation showed a Fitts' law relationship comparable to conventional manual operation. Trajectory analysis showed higher path efficiency and lower jerk in the robotic condition, indicating improved trajectory-related motion quality. In the simulator-based cannulation task, the robotic condition showed slightly longer initial task completion times, whereas both robotic and conventional conditions showed comparable changes in task completion time across repeated trials.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates the feasibility of a teleoperated robotic system for simulator-based ERCP cannulation tasks. Further validation with expert endoscopists and more realistic ERCP environments is required.