Towards a Procedure-Optimised Steerable Catheter for Deep-Seated Neurosurgery

Area of Science:

• Medical Devices
• Surgical Technology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Steerable needles, particularly programmable bevel-tip needles (PBNs), are crucial for minimally invasive surgery (MIS).
• Previous PBN prototypes (2.5 mm) demonstrated feasibility for convection-enhanced delivery (CED) in vivo.
• Further miniaturization is essential for PBNs to access deep-seated tissues in various diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate a novel manufacturing method for miniaturized PBNs using thermal drawing technology.
• To assess the feasibility of producing complex cross-section needle geometries below 2.5 mm.
• To compare the characteristics of thermally drawn (TD) PBNs with existing PBN prototypes.

Main Methods:

• Development of a thermal drawing process for PBN fabrication.
• Manufacturing of a 1.3 mm thermally drawn (TD) PBN prototype.
• Experimental characterization of both 2.5 mm PBN and 1.3 mm TD-PBN prototypes.

Main Results:

• Thermal drawing technology enables significant miniaturization of complex PBN structures.
• The 1.3 mm TD-PBN prototype was successfully fabricated.
• Initial steering performance was impacted by material selection, indicating an area for future optimization.

Conclusions:

• Thermal drawing is a promising manufacturing approach for creating smaller, complex steerable needles.
• Further material research is required to optimize the steering capabilities of TD-PBNs.
• This advancement paves the way for PBNs in a wider range of MIS applications requiring deep tissue access.