Manually Steerable Catheter With Improved Agility

Purpose:A prototype steerable catheter was designed for endovascular procedures. This technical pilot study reports the initial experience using the catheter for cannulation of visceral arteries.Technique:The 7F catheter was manually steerable with operator control handle for bending and rotation of the tip. The maximum bending angle was approximately 90° and full 360° rotation of the tip was supported. The study involved 1 pig with 4 designated target arteries: the left and right renal arteries, the superior mesenteric artery, and the celiac trunk. Fluoroscopy with 3-dimensional (3D) overlay showing the ostia from preoperative computed tomography angiography was used for image guidance. The cannulation was considered successful if the guidewire was placed well inside the target artery. In addition to evaluating cannulation success, procedure time and associated radiation doses were recorded. The procedure was performed twice with 2 different operators.Conclusions:Both operators successfully reached all 4...