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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Shape Memory Polymers for Active Cell Culture
Published on: July 4, 2011
Water-jet outer sheath with braided shape memory polymer tubes for upper gastrointestinal tract screening
Linkun Yin1, Shuxin Wang1, Siyang Zuo1
1Key Laboratory of Mechanism Theory and Equipment Design of Ministry of Education, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.
Background:
Flexible endoscopes have become an important tool for the diagnosis and treatment of gastric cancer. However, there are several limitations to the use of endoscopes in rural areas, including their high cost, poor portability, and unstable platform.
Methods:
This paper presents a novel low-cost outer sheath for stomach screening. The sheath uses braided shape memory polymer (SMP) tubes with a water-jet to control the stiffness and bending motion. The insertion part of the prototype is 250 mm long with a maximum outer diameter of 16 mm and incorporates an internal charge-coupled device camera.
Results:
We have tested the workspace and stiffness of the outer sheath. The prototype has also been validated with phantom and ex vivo porcine stomach experiments.
Conclusions:
By controlling the water-jet and temperature of the braided SMP tubes, the outer sheath achieves a large workspace and a remarkable variability in stiffness, demonstrating the potential clinical value of the outer sheath system.
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