Soft Catheter Surgical Robot for Heart Disease (20150147, Dr. Tim Kowalewski)

Technology No. 20150147

IP Status: Issued US Patent; Application #: 15/569,958

Surgical robot for treating cardiovascular disease (CVD)

A new type of soft surgical robot capable of safely travelling through vasculature offers surgical robotic benefits in treating cardiovascular disease (CVD). The worm-like design is based on fiber-reinforced elastomeric enclosures (FREE). It features hydraulically powered actuators with pressure-threshold valves, offering integrated sensing and precision control at the end-effector. The robot can anchor itself within vasculature using minimal force and will not block blood flow. Combining FREE actuators enables bidirectional traversal, steering and anchoring for interventional procedures by the catheter tip (e.g. atherectomy). The technology can be combined with other tools such as closed-loop laser photoablation and fiber optic tissue sensing to realize safe, closed-loop precision tissue removal in transvascular conditions with semi or fully automated control.

Safely removes plaque

Heart disease remains a leading cause of death, yet no safe, minimally-invasive and lasting clinical intervention currently exists to treat it. Stent usage is declining and proving clinically inferior to invasive bypass surgery. This new, unprecedented design provides an inherently safe method of removing plaque while extending the benefits of surgical robotics into the cardiovascular and transvascular space.

Phase of Development

Prototype

Benefits

Safely travels through vasculature
New class of minimally-invasive surgical robots

Features

Soft catheter surgical robot
Controlled biomimetic movement through vasculature
Safe, precision removal of plaque
Design based on fiber-reinforced elastomeric enclosures (FREE)
Hydraulically powered actuators with pressure-threshold valves
Integrated sensing
Bidirectional traversal, steering and anchoring for interventional procedures (e.g. atherectomy)
Safe, closed-loop precision tissue removal with semi or fully automated control

Applications

Cardiovascular disease (CVD)
Plaque removal
Atherosclerosis treatment
Stroke treatment
Peripheral artery disease treatment
Transvascular access procedures
Catheter-based intravascular applications
Surgical robotics

Researchers

Tim Kowalewski, PhD

Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

External Link (www.me.umn.edu)

James Van de Ven

Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering

External Link (www.me.umn.edu)

Publications

Serially Actuated Locomotion for Soft Robots in Tube-Like Environments

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, Volume: 2, Issue: 2, April 2017

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