Steerable catheters in minimally invasive vascular surgery

✍ Scribed by Yili Fu; Hao Liu; Wentai Huang; Shuguo Wang; Zhaoguang Liang

• Publisher: Wiley (Robotic Publications)
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 319 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1478-5951
• DOI: 10.1002/rcs.282

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Background

Remote‐controlled catheter navigation systems have recently been introduced into minimally invasive vascular surgery and some of them have already been applied in clinical practice. Steerable catheters with improved manoeuvrability play an important role in these innovations for conventional catheterization.

Methods

This review details the development of various steerable catheters, both in use clinically and under investigation. Comprehensive comparison and analysis in several key aspects are followed to reveal both the advantages and limitations of these catheters, as well as the requirements for relevant techniques.

Results

Steerable catheters are able to select direction in the distal end, and superior to conventional counterparts in many aspects. Differences between magnetic and active catheters mainly lie in function, safety, configuration of operating room and cost. They have similar requirements for miniaturization and slave insertion mechanisms.

Conclusions

Steerable catheters are rapidly evolving and still require technological refinements to extend current capabilities. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.