Abstract
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.
Conclusi ons: Both operators successfully reached all 4 target arteries, demonstrating the feasibility of the steerable catheter for endovascular
cannulation of visceral arteries. No contrast medium was used, and median radiation dose was 4.5 mGy per cannulation. An average
of approximately 2 minutes was used per cannulation. This study motivates further testing in a more comprehensive study to evaluate
reproducibility in several animals and with inclusion of more operators. Further development by integrating the new catheter tool in a navigation
system is also an interesting next step, combining fine control of catheter tip movements and 3D image guidance without ionizing
radiation.
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.
Conclusi ons: Both operators successfully reached all 4 target arteries, demonstrating the feasibility of the steerable catheter for endovascular
cannulation of visceral arteries. No contrast medium was used, and median radiation dose was 4.5 mGy per cannulation. An average
of approximately 2 minutes was used per cannulation. This study motivates further testing in a more comprehensive study to evaluate
reproducibility in several animals and with inclusion of more operators. Further development by integrating the new catheter tool in a navigation
system is also an interesting next step, combining fine control of catheter tip movements and 3D image guidance without ionizing
radiation.