Buckling test as a new approach to testing flexural rigidities of angiographic catheters

The general design of catheters is bound by many needs. Angiographic catheters must be rigid enough to be torquable and to maintain lumen structural integrity, but also flexible enough to bend with the curves of a blood vessel. They should cause minimal tissue damage; avoid biocompatibility-related complications, and be reliable over time. This study proposes a new testing approach to clearly identify the flexural rigidity of catheters by using a buckling test to evaluate the peak compressive load. This study also tests several angiographic catheters for axial and torsional rigidity. Seven different catheters used for short-term procedures, with and without reinforcement and of various sizes, were evaluated as a preliminary evaluation of test methods for future in vitro testing of catheters; it was found that the buckling test works very well and provides repeatable results.