Catheter-mounted microrobot

Catheter-Mounted Microrobot

This technology is a microrobot mounted on the tip of a catheter, consisting of a drill unit rotatably coupled to the central shaft of a flexible base and a head unit at the distal end. It features an independent drive mechanism where the drill unit generates thrust (drilling) via an external rotating magnetic field, while the head unit bends to control direction (steering) via an external steering magnetic field.

Conventional technology uses magnetic torque to bend the entire wire, which requires a large magnetic element at the tip and a high-intensity magnetic field (e.g., 800mT). This limits the miniaturization of the catheter diameter and increases procedure time, thereby raising the risk of radiation exposure for the patient.

This technology utilizes a flexible base and a central shaft, allowing for efficient bending even with low magnetic fields in the 10–20mT range. By equipping the drill unit and the head unit with separate magnetic elements, drilling and steering functions are controlled independently, ensuring miniaturization and procedural efficiency. Applicable to surgical robots, interventional systems, and medical automation, this technology provides a catheter-mounted microrobot with smaller magnetic materials and a thinner catheter, improving the efficiency of atherosclerosis treatment.

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Key Features:

• In a catheter-mounted microrobot applied to a catheter control system that remotely pushes or pulls a catheter to be inserted into a patient's lesion, a base unit that is detachably coupled to a protrusion of the catheter and includes a central shaft
• A drill unit that is rotatably coupled to the central shaft and includes a first magnetic element or is coated with a first magnetic element on its exterior, configured to perform a drilling function by generating magnetic torque via an external rotating magnetic field
• A head unit having a larger diameter than the end of the central shaft to restrict the movement of the drill unit
• A drill unit that includes a first magnetic element or is coated with a first magnetic element on its exterior

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This invention was developed with the support of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of a micro-medical robot system for the treatment of chronic total occlusion in myocardial infarction.