Bio-inspired circular soft actuators for simulating defecation process of human rectum

Soft robots have found extensive applications in the medical field, particularly in rehabilitation exercises, assisted grasping, and artificial organs. Despite significant advancements in simulating various components of the digestive system, the rectum has been largely neglected due to societal stigma. This study seeks to address this gap by developing soft circular muscle actuators (CMAs) and rectum models to replicate the defecation process. Using soft materials, both the rectum and the actuators were fabricated to enable seamless integration and attachment. We designed, fabricated, and tested three types of CMAs and compared them to the simulated results. A pneumatic system was employed to control the actuators, and simulated stool was synthesized using sodium alginate and calcium chloride. Experimental results indicated that the third type of actuator exhibited superior performance in pressure generation, enabling the area contraction to reach a maximum value of 1. The successful simulation of the defecation process highlights the potential of these soft actuators in biomedical applications, providing a foundation for further research and development in the field of soft robotics. © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to the Japanese Society for Artificial Organs 2024.