Development of an active catheter using a conductive polymer actuator

导管是插入体腔、管道或血管的管子，是微创手术的主要器械之一。然而，操作传统导管需要特殊技能。因此，在医疗领域中非常需要其弯曲运动可通过与导管管体集成的致动器电控制的有源导管。我们已经开发了一种主动导管，使用导电聚合物致动器在空气中驱动。聚吡咯（PPy）被用作致动器。制造的有源导管由硅胶管（外径：1. 0mm）、围绕管形成的四个金薄膜电极、沉积在每个金电极上的四个PPy膜以及覆盖PPy膜的电解质凝胶层。当在导管的相对PPys之间施加电压时，弯曲运动的最小曲率半径为23。5mm在空气中进行。

Catheter is a tube that is inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel and one of the major instruments for the minimal invasive surgery. However, special skills are necessary to operate conventional catheters. So, active catheters, whose bending motion are controllable electrically by actuators integrated with the catheter tube, are highly desired in the medical field. We have developed an active catheter using a conductive polymer actuator driven in air. Polypyrrole(PPy) was used as the actuator. The fabricated active catheter consists of a silicone tube(outer diameter : 1. 0mm), four thin film electrodes of gold formed around the tube, four PPy films deposited on each gold electrode, and an electrolyte gel layer covering the PPy films. When the voltage was applied between the opposing PPys of the catheter, the bending motion with the minimum radius of curvature of 23. 5mm was performed in air.