The i-Snake is a long tube housing motors, sensors, and imaging tools. The Cleveland Clinic considered this type of surgical tool number one on their recent top 10 list of medical developments.

A team at the Imperial College London is developing a small flexible surgical robot that can twist and turn in a controlled manner to reach places that previously required more invasive methods. The i-Snake is a long tube housing motors, sensors, and imaging tools. It’s envisioned for heart-bypass surgeons and to diagnose problems in the gut and bowel.

The nimble instrument could enter the body through natural orifices or cavities, such as the bowel. This would eliminate skin punctures, a source of infections.
“The cost benefits that i-Snake will introduce include earlier, cheaper and less invasive treatment, faster recovery and procedure times, and an increase in patient care and quality of life,” says team leader, health minister, and surgeon Ara Darzi. There was no word on when clinical trials might start.