  Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy is a minimally invasive and effective
method for early lung cancer intervention. Robot-assisted bronchoscopy offers
improved precision, spatial flexibility, and reduced risk of cross-infection.
This paper introduces a novel teleoperated robotic bronchoscopy system and a
three-stage procedure designed for robot-assisted bronchoscopy. The robotic
mechanism enables a clinical practice similar to traditional bronchoscopy,
augmented by the control of a novel variable stiffness catheter for tissue
sampling. A rapid prototype of the robotic system has been fully developed and
validated through in-vivo experiments. The results demonstrate the potential of
the proposed robotic bronchoscopy system and variable stiffness catheter in
enhancing accuracy and safety during bronchoscopy procedures.
