Instant variable stiffness in cardiovascular catheters based on fiber jamming

Variable stiffness (VS) has revolutionized miniature surgical instruments, including cardiovascular catheters for minimally invasive surgeries (MISs), enabling advanced capabilities in stiffness modulation and multi-curvature bending. However, existing VS catheters with phase-changing materials are slow in softening and stiffening rates (≈90 s), which can lead to substantial increase in surgery duration. To address the slow stiffness change, we propose a VS catheter based on fiber jamming (FJ) that achieves instant stiffness changes (≤300 ms), enabling seamless catheter operations without delays. Moreover, our catheter, incorporating hundreds of ultrathin fibers into a slender 2.3-mm catheter body, achieves up to 6.5-fold stiffness changes. With adequate stiffness change, our two-segment catheter achieves complex bending profiles within seconds. In addition, the FJ-based design does not require electric currents or heating inside the human body, minimizing patient risks. This FJ-based VS catheter, with instantaneous response, adequate stiffness change, and enhanced safety, can potentially establish benchmarks in MIS, allowing medical practitioners to effectively address formidable diseases.