Friction Behavior of Esophageal Mucosa Under Axial and Circumferential Extension

There are serious friction damage problems that few studies have focused on when conveying endoscope to the lesion locations. In this paper, the friction behavior between endoscope and esophageal mucosa tissue which stretched in different directions was studied by using a UMT-II Micro-Tribometer. Results show that the friction coefficient and energy dissipation decreased with the increasing circumferential strain, and enhanced with the increasing axial strain. The difference in friction behaviors was related to the structural and mechanical anisotropy of the esophageal tissue. The tearing degree on the mucosal surface gradually increased with the increasing normal force. Lidocaine could effectively reduce the friction dissipation and damage. The results can provide the basic data for safety operation and damage control during endoscopy.