I-Corps: A steerable microcatheter that utilizes a miniaturized actuator to achieve a maximum range of motion

该I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是改善美国每年45，000例接受机械血栓切除术的缺血性卒中患者的结局。机械血栓切除术是通过缓解阻塞血管重建脑血流的行为，是合格患者的主要治疗方法。在到达梗阻时，迂曲的解剖结构可能导致手术失败和不良结局。已经开发了可操控微导管，以增加成功结局的机会。目前可用的可操纵导管的操纵机制是牵引导丝，这些导丝穿过导管的整个长度。对于较长且曲折的解剖结构，导丝与导管鞘之间的摩擦力急剧增加，从而降低了头端的活动范围。随着导管直径缩小以进入较窄的血管（直径低于2 mm），与相对面积成比例的摩擦力急剧增加，使导管无法操作。此外，由于精度要求，这种规模的常规制造变得具有挑战性或过于昂贵。所提出的技术是一种微导管，以绕过这一限制，并保持其可操纵性独立的cathetscourses.This I-Corps项目是基于可操纵的微导管，利用小型化的致动器，以实现最大范围的运动（360度在3D空间）的发展。 它既使用了一个驱动机制，以及一个新的制造方法。致动机构完全避免了摩擦，允许其运动范围独立于路径曲折度。此外，该制造方法基于激光微加工层的层压组装，这导致具有亚毫米精度的器件的高产量制造。其结果是一个技术平台，用于以前所未有的规模开发准确，可操纵的微型导管。该360度定向导管也可以由遥控机器人系统引导。随着5G传输能力的普及，未来中风血栓切除术可能在移动的设备中进行，而拟议的导管由医生远程操控。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is to improve outcomes for the 45,000 yearly ischemic stroke patients undergoing mechanical thrombectomy in the US. Mechanical thrombectomy, the act of reestablishing cerebral blood flow by relieving an obstructed blood vessel, is the primary treatment for qualifying patients. In reaching the obstruction, tortuous anatomy could lead to procedure failure and poor outcomes. Steerable microcatheters have been developed to increase the chances of a successful outcome. Currently available steerable catheters pull wires for their steering mechanism, these wires travel the entire length of the catheter. For long, tortuous anatomies, the friction between the wire and the catheter sheath increases drastically reducing the tip's range of motion. As the catheter diameter is scaled down to access narrower blood vessels (below 2 mm in diameter), friction, which is proportional to relative area, increases dramatically, making the catheter inoperable. Moreover, conventional fabrication at this scale becomes challenging or prohibitively expensive due to precision requirements. The proposed technology is a microcatheter to bypass this limitation and retain its steerability independent of the catheters course.This I-Corps project is based on the development of a steerable microcatheter that utilizes a miniaturized actuator to achieve a maximum range of motion (360 degrees in 3D space). It uses both a actuation mechanism as well as a novel fabrication approach. The actuation mechanism avoids friction altogether, allowing for its range of motion to be independent of path tortuosity. In addition, the fabrication method is based on laminate assembly of laser micro-machined layers, which results in high-throughput manufacturing of devices with sub-millimeter precision. The result is a technology platform for developing accurate, steerable, miniature catheters at an unprecedented scale. This 360 degree directional catheter also may be piloted by a remote-controlled robotic system. With 5G transmission capabilities becoming readily available, in the future, stroke thrombectomies may be carried out in mobile units, while the proposed catheter is piloted by a physician remotely.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.