Young Talents: OriPill 550
Owner Unit: Yukun Ge
Design Unit: Yukun Ge
Team Member: Yukun Ge
The OriPill is an origami-inspired capsule endoscope designed to detect early-stage bowel cancer using tactile sensing instead of visual signals. Bowel cancer is a major health issue, affecting about 1 in 20 people, and current capsule endoscopes lack the ability to reliably detect early stages, leading to a high miss rate. OriPill addresses this by employing a unique biomimetic origami structure, inspired by wheat spikes, allowing passive forward and reverse movement powered by intestinal peristalsis. A micro-actuator controls the origami shape, enabling precise positioning with minimal power. OriPill's tactile sensors detect abnormal tissue hardness, a key indicator of cancer, and algorithms estimate tumor size, enhancing diagnosis. This innovation reduces capsule size, improves comfort, and eliminates the need for specialized equipment or operators, offering an efficient and patient-friendly solution for bowel cancer screening.