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Multiscale Architecture Governs Stability in Suction-Actuated Variable Stiffness Catheters.

DeVaughn Rucker¹, Sheridan Lee², Michael Qiu^3,4

¹Department of Surgery, The Center Cardiovascular Innovation in Surgery and Engineering (CVISE), Washington University, St. Louis MO 63130; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, and NSF Science and Technology Center for Engineering Mechanobiology (CEMB), Washington University, St. Louis MO 63130.

Journal of Biomechanical Engineering

|May 7, 2026

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Summary

Interweaving expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape into endovascular catheter string arrays improves bending uniformity and stability. This design optimization helps bridge the gap between theoretical and achieved stiffness, enhancing device performance for complex procedures.

Area of Science:

Biomedical Engineering
Materials Science

Background:

Endovascular procedures demand devices with adaptable mechanical properties, balancing flexibility for navigation and rigidity for therapeutic delivery.
Current suction-actuated variable stiffness sheaths, while innovative, exhibit suboptimal stiffening ratios due to challenges in string array positioning and interlayer mechanics.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of interweaving expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape within axial wire string arrays on the flexural rigidity and bending uniformity of endovascular sheaths.
To identify design principles for intra-catheter wrapping to enhance the performance of variable stiffness endovascular devices.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of prototype sheaths with varying PTFE wrap configurations.
Evaluation using flexural testing, curvature stability testing in simulated vascular bends, and mathematical modeling.

Keywords:

buckling instability curvature stability endovascular navigation multiscale architecture variable stiffness catheter

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Analysis of failure mechanisms including string array slip and buckling.

Main Results:

Flexural rigidity was largely unaffected by PTFE wrapping for small deformations.
Curvature stability testing revealed significant deformation due to slip and buckling failure mechanisms.
Mathematical modeling identified criteria for improved device performance based on wrapping architecture and mechanical properties.

Conclusions:

Interweaving PTFE tape can enhance bending uniformity and stability in variable stiffness endovascular sheaths.
Understanding and mitigating slip and buckling are crucial for optimizing device performance.
The study provides design principles to improve flexural rigidity ratios, advancing the development of single-sheath endovascular navigation and intervention devices.