Biologically Inspired Catheter for Endovascular Sensing and Navigation

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Devices
• Vascular Surgery

Background:

• Minimally invasive vascular treatments require precise navigation, often relying on fluoroscopy.
• Fluoroscopic guidance leads to significant radiation exposure for patients and medical staff.
• Existing methods lack real-time, non-invasive feedback for catheter positioning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel bioimpedance-based navigation system for vascular procedures.
• To provide continuous, real-time catheter guidance without fluoroscopy, contrast agents, or external tracking.
• To reduce radiation exposure and improve safety in endovascular interventions.

Main Methods:

• A new electrogenic sensory catheter was designed to generate and measure weak electric fields and impedance.
• The catheter's impedance measurements were mapped to preoperative imaging data to determine its relative position.
• The system was tested in a synthetic vessel tree and a porcine model for in vivo validation.

Main Results:

• Successful navigation within a synthetic vessel tree using the impedance mapping technique.
• The sensory catheter demonstrated in vivo capability to detect variations in vessel cross-sectional area.
• Initial results confirm the potential of bioimpedance for non-fluoroscopic guidance.

Conclusions:

• The developed bioimpedance navigation system offers a promising non-fluoroscopic alternative for vascular procedures.
• This technology can augment current imaging methods, reducing reliance on radiation and contrast media.
• Further development could enhance safety and efficacy in minimally invasive vascular interventions.