A Guide-Wired Helical Microrobot for Mechanical Thrombectomy: A Feasibility Study.

In this paper, we present a novel guide-wired helical microrobot for mechanical thrombectomy in cardiovascular system, especially for calcified thrombus therapeutics. We designed and fabricated a prototype of the helical shape microrobot equipped with a freely rotatable spherical joint connected to a catheter guidewire, that enables drilling capability to remove calcified objects in vascular. The guidewire helps supporting and maneuvering the microrobot against blood flow during thrombus removal procedure. In addition to the microrobot, an enhanced electromagnetic navigation system (ENS) is implemented to utilize high frequency operation based on resonant effect, which enables powerful drilling force of the microrobot. The in-vitro experimental results illustrate that the suggested method could successfully enhance the locomotion and the drilling force of the helical microrobot that would be sufficient for future mechanical thrombectomy application in cardiovascular therapeutics.