The development of minimally invasive technologies for treating disease has significantly reduced the morbidity of treating coronary artery disease. The presence of totally coronary arteries is significant factor in preventing broader application of minimally invasive techniques. To address this important clinical problem new methods must be developed for visualizing the arteries of the heart and for manipulating devices within the heart. This proposal presents a new methodology for creating new devices that will address the visualization and guidance needs to solve these problems. More specifically a novel machining and fabrication technique will be created that will allow the creation of an ultrasound scanner small enough to fit in coronary arteries and will allow the physician to see where he is going in two planes as he advances the device through the arteries of the heart. Furthermore this same fabrication technique will be used to create building blocks will be used to construct catheters that can be steered to direct devices such as lasers and atherectomy through occluded arteries without risk of puncturing the artery. Finally the project will develop a set of core integrated electronics and control algorithms that will allow these complex devices to be manipulated in a user friendly through the body.
| Tung, Alexander T; Park, Byong-Ho; Liang, David H et al. (2008) Laser-Machined Shape Memory Alloy Sensors for Position Feedback in Active Catheters. Sens Actuators A Phys 147:83-92 |
