One-Piece 3D-Printed Pneumatic Catheter: Dual-Segment Design with Integrated Robotics Control for Endovascular Interventions

Abstract

Soft robotics have propelled advancements in medical applications such as endovascular interventions through the development of soft steerable catheters. Despite their potential, existing catheters often require intricate manufacturing or complex control systems due to their inherent hysteresis and nonlinear material properties. This study introduces a novel catheter system featuring a 3D-printed hollow tip with two pneumatic bending units, facilitating rotation about two distinct axes without the need for additional fabrication steps. Finite element analysis simulations were used to optimize the catheter design while minimizing its diameter to 6.4 mm. Furthermore, an external robotic control system was integrated to perform physical experiments to assess the bending capabilities of the catheter tip. After calibration, the system exhibited proficient shape control, achieving a wide bending range from -47° to 169° under the integrated control system, and effectively conforming to 'C', 'S', and 'J' configurations with 0.53 degrees closed-loop accuracy. The catheter prototype demonstrated low hysteresis and high repeatability. The entire catheter system presents a pragmatic and cost-effective approach for the rapid prototyping and development of pneumatic steerable catheters. This novel system is ideally suited for testing preliminary concepts and educational applications in endovascular interventions.