Autonomously Retractable Endoscope Holder for Otologic and Associated Procedures

For years, endoscopy has been an essential method for providing surgeons improved visualization in difficult areas to access. With recent developments in endoscopic technology, narrower endoscopes have opened new possibilities in assisting surgeons in different procedures. Operations in narrow spaces such as the ear canal are particularly of interest, as smaller endoscopes can significantly reduce the invasiveness of the surgical procedure and improve the field of vision of the surgeon. However, using the endoscope safely inside such delicate parts of the body requires it to be safely held, and safely retracted if the patient moves their head. To make the most out of endoscopic assistance while preventing any collision inside the ear canal during surgery, an automatically retracting endoscope holder has been proposed. Such a system can make the surgery easier and more efficient by allowing the surgeon to operate bimanually and improve patient safety by autonomously retracting if the patient’s head moves towards the endoscope in a way that can harm delicate structures down the ear canal. I have developed and implemented such a retraction mechanism with two alternative danger assessment pipelines in this thesis and evaluated the system to ensure it demonstrates the speed, responsiveness, and robustness that the surgical scenario demands. This prototype therefore explores and confirms the feasibility and potential of an automatically retracting endoscope holder, and acts as the first step towards a commercial design that can be widely implemented in operating rooms to make otologic and related procedures easier and safer