Feedforward Coordinate Control of a Robotic Cell Injection Catheter

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Robotics
• Cardiovascular Interventions

Background:

• Remote and robotically actuated catheters are advancing towards autonomous systems for complex intravascular procedures.
• Physician intervention can be minimized with increased catheter autonomy.
• Accurate catheter navigation is crucial for targeted therapies like stem cell delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a concept for the positional, feedforward control of a robotically actuated cell injection catheter.
• To enable precise injection of stem cells into the myocardial infarct boundary zones of the left ventricle.
• To lay the groundwork for future autonomous catheter systems.

Main Methods:

• A prototype catheter system was developed using a needle-based catheter with single-degree deflection, a 3D-printed handle, actuators, and an Arduino microcontroller.
• A bench setup simulated a left ventricle catheterization procedure.
• Matlab and the Tracker video analysis tool were used to analyze catheter position, and a feedforward control system was developed based on empirical models.

Main Results:

• Statistical analysis (Student's t test, n=26) showed no significant difference between calibrated and theoretical catheter coordinates on the y- and z-axes (µ = 0).
• The feedforward control system achieved an 88% improvement in root mean square error on the z-axis and a 31% improvement on the y-axis compared to unmodified trials.
• This demonstrates the efficacy of the proposed feedforward positional control system.

Conclusions:

• The developed feedforward control system is a viable proof of concept for robotically actuated cell injection catheters.
• This technology advances the development of autonomous catheter systems, potentially overcoming limitations like systemic time delays.
• Future work includes in vivo testing and development of catheters with omnidirectional deflection for enhanced maneuverability.