A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE: FROM MAGNETICALLY-ACTUATED CATHETERS TO CATHETERS FOR MAGNETIC ACTUATION
Jakub Sikorski, PhD
Recorded during: The 2020 TechMed Event | more info
Date recording: 15 September 2020
Abstract
Catheters are flexible tubes used in minimally-invasive surgery. Their compliant structure and sleek shape facilitate their access to key organs such as heart or brain. However, catheters are challenging to steer once inside the body, which limits their applicability to a narrow range of tasks. Magnetic actuation is a novel technique used to enhance the dexterity of catheters by integrating into their structure coils or permanent magnets, which respond to external fields. In this presentation, we talk about how magnetic actuation can be used to create catheters that are capable of exhibiting rich, autonomous behaviour. We demonstrate functionalized magnetic catheters developed within the Surgical Robotics Laboratory, University of Twente for advanced tasks, such as grasping or targeted drug delivery. Finally, we approach the catheters from another perspective, presenting them as potential tools for magnetic actuation of yet smaller objects – the medical microrobotic agents.