Design and Modeling of a Compact Spooling Mechanism for the COAST Guidewire Robot

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Robotics
• Interventional Cardiology

Background:

• Manual guidewire manipulation in intravascular procedures lacks tip control and risks vessel damage.
• Existing robotic guidewires are limited by short lengths or bulky actuation systems, hindering clinical use.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a compact spooling mechanism for the COaxially Aligned STeerable (COAST) robotic guidewire.
• To enable dispensing of a clinically viable 1.5m length of the robotic guidewire.
• To model and validate the kinematics of the robotic guidewire with the new mechanism.

Main Methods:

• Development of a compact spooling mechanism with interior armatures for actuating the COAST guidewire.
• Kinematic modeling of the robotic guidewire, incorporating friction forces from the spooling mechanism.
• Calibration of the spooling mechanism's actuators and validation of the guidewire's kinematics.

Main Results:

• A compact spooling mechanism capable of dispensing a 1.5m robotic guidewire was successfully developed.
• The guidewire kinematics were modeled, accounting for mechanism-induced friction.
• Validation confirmed the guidewire's kinematic performance with an average curvature RMSE of 0.24 m^-1.

Conclusions:

• The developed compact spooling mechanism makes the COAST robotic guidewire system more clinically viable by providing a sufficient length.
• The kinematic modeling and validation demonstrate the system's potential for precise control in complex intravascular environments.
• This advancement could improve safety and efficacy in minimally invasive procedures requiring guidewire navigation.