Conventional bowel resection requires external incisions and extraluminal tissue manipulation, resulting in substantial morbidity, prolonged recovery, and aesthetic concerns. We present the technical design and preliminary validation of the Endoluminal Invagination and Transluminal Resection via Autonomous Eversion (EITRA) system, a novel surgical platform enabling complete bowel resection entirely from within the intestinal lumen. The system integrates three synergistic components: an artificial intelligence-guided navigation module utilizing shape memory alloy actuators for autonomous pathfinding, a pressure-actuated everting conduit incorporating granular jamming for progressive rigidification, and specialized endoluminal instruments performing invagination-based resection with laser ablation and circular stapling. Computational modeling predicts substantial improvements over conventional approaches: operative time reduction of 50-70% (estimated 50-80 versus 180-240 minutes), blood loss minimization to less than 30 mL versus 300-500 mL, and anastomotic leak risk reduction to under 3% versus 8-12%. Phantom model validation demonstrates feasibility of core mechanisms. EITRA represents a paradigm innovation in gastrointestinal surgery with potential applications in colorectal cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and complex intestinal pathology requiring segmental resection.
Ashour Ghelichi (Tue,) studied this question.