Introduction to Project:
Project Description
Aneurysm and blood clot removals, facilitated by blood vessel catheters, are critical to improving stroke treatment. The team was tasked to design and manufacture a remote-controlled robotic system that can translate and rotate a catheter through a benchtop blood vessel model. The system measures distance, force, and torque during testing and handles catheters of size 2-15 French. Robot size is 1.2 cubic feet, and measurements have a sampling rate between 5-30 Hz. The system measures forces between 0.1-10 N and includes an emergency stop feature if forces exceed 10 N. The team designed the robot in SolidWorks and primarily used additive manufacturing in its construction. The translation, rotation, and sensors were coded using Arduino. This project allows Bioengineering Devices Laboratory researchers to safely insert a catheter into a blood vessel model in the presence of x-rays. The system also demonstrates future capacity for surgeons to remotely operate on patients.