Physically intelligent tip-growing catheters for neurointerventional procedures

Stroke kills 6 million people annually and is the third leading cause of disability. Catheter-based mechanical thrombectomy can remove thrombi causing ischaemic stroke. This currently benefits only 10% of eligible patients due to the lack of specialised Centres and experts. This PhD project aims to develop intelligent catheters that upskill trainees to address this; with the developed catheters, less experienced neurointerventionalists will be able to operate at the level of experts while guaranteeing the same level of care. The project will research pressure-driven high-aspect ratio sensorised soft tip-growing robots that can navigate the tortuous human vasculature through follow-the-leader deployment, wherein the robot tail intrinsically follows the robot head. Tip growing robotic catheters do not need to be pushed in the body, thus exhibiting reduced friction with the anatomy. Specifically, pressure-driven eversion growing robots “deposit” folded material, stored at their tail, to their tip. They can intelligently navigate complex anatomy, constituting a paradigm shift from current approaches. The project benefits from extensive background work that has been carried out in the Robotics and Vision in Medicine Lab, the host lab, international collaborations, and the support of Siemens Healthineers.