Soft Artificial Ciliary Brush with Integrated Haptic Feedback for Efficient Airway Mucus Cleaning

Mucus accumulation is a major complication in cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), increasing risks of airway obstruction and impairing drug delivery. Maintaining the patency of airway prosthetic devices such as stents and endotracheal tubes also requires effective clearance. Current approaches, primarily blind suction, are ineffective against viscous mucus and risk tissue trauma. Here, it proposes a mucus-cleaning catheter that integrates a rotational soft ciliary brush with suction for efficient and safe clearance on tracheobronchial tissues and within airway prosthetic devices. The soft artificial cilia efficiently wrap up mucus around the suction inlets for removing viscous mucus while a haptic sensing unit provides real-time feedback for operational safety. The device can remove mucus in thin layers without damaging the tissue, typically difficult for pure suction by a therapeutic bronchoscope. This study demonstrates that the device can access airway phantom models, ex vivo ovine lungs, airway stents, and endotracheal tubes, performing on-demand mucus clearance under real-time visualization via an onboard camera. Compared with therapeutic bronchoscopes with pure suction, the catheter provides faster clearance and minimal damage to tissues, offering a promising strategy for safe, efficient, and timely mucus cleaning for patients with excessive mucus accumulation in the airway.