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Remote Magnetic Navigation for Accurate, Real-time Catheter Positioning and Ablation in Cardiac Electrophysiology Procedures
Published on: April 21, 2013
Design and performance evaluation of a remote catheter navigation system
Yogesh Thakur1, Jeffrey S Bax, David W Holdsworth
1Graduate Program in Biomedical Engineering and the Robarts Research Institute, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5B9, Canada. ythakur@imaging.robarts.ca
IEEE Transactions on Bio-Medical Engineering
|April 2, 2009
Summary
A new remote catheter navigation system reduces interventionalist stress and radiation exposure during X-ray guided procedures. This teleoperated system accurately replicates catheter movements, enhancing safety in interventional radiology.
Area of Science:
- Medical Engineering
- Interventional Radiology
- Robotics in Medicine
Background:
- Fluoroscopic X-ray guided catheter interventions pose risks of physical stress and radiation exposure to interventionalists.
- Current catheter manipulation methods require close proximity to the radiation source, limiting safety measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and evaluate a novel remote catheter navigation system.
- To reduce physical stress and irradiation exposure for interventionalists during catheter-based procedures.
- To assess the accuracy, precision, and latency of the remote system.
Main Methods:
- Development of a teleoperated system with an input catheter (with sensor) and a remote catheter manipulator.
- Bench-top experiments to quantify motion accuracy and precision.
- Latency evaluation through prescribed motion trajectory replication and remote navigation tasks in a carotid model with eight operators.
Main Results:
- The system demonstrated the ability to sense and replicate catheter motion within 1 mm (axial) and 1 degree (radial).
- Remote catheter navigation latency was found to be operator-dependent, occurring under 300 milliseconds.
- Successful remote navigation through a normal carotid model was achieved.
Conclusions:
- The novel remote catheter navigation system effectively reduces interventionalist exposure to radiation and physical strain.
- The system offers precise and rapid remote control of catheters, with performance influenced by operator skill.
- This technology holds significant potential for future applications in minimally invasive interventional procedures.
