Ultrasonically-Lubricated Catheters: Miniaturization and Ex-vivo Tissue Validation

piezo line plate lumen side cap ring structure new design separable support lumen Side Cap Piezo Plate (b) (c) Prototype Endovascular catheterization plays a crucial role in treating various cardiovascular conditions such as aortic valve stenosis and coronary heart disease, with over 200 million catheters being used annually during these procedures [1]. The insertion of catheters into blood vessels inevitably creates friction between the catheter and vessel wall. This generated friction is one of the most significant sources of prevalent cardiovas- cular intervention complications such as arterial spasm, hematoma and vascular trauma [1], [2]. Despite its complications, frictional interaction remains critical for ensuring catheter stability, especially during cutting or puncturing operations which require significant forces. Thus, managing this frictional interaction is essential for ensuring optimal patient outcomes. We previously introduced the concept of a friction programmable catheter, equipped with discrete friction control modules along its shaft to toggle between high and low friction states on demand [3]. Here, we present an enhanced iteration of these friction control modules, addressing the limitations of the earlier design resulting in improved performance and miniaturization. Further- more, we report the results of our first sliding friction experiments conducted on ex-vivo porcine aortic tissue.