Trackability of a high-strength thromboresistant hydrogel catheter: An In vitro analysis comparing venous catheter forces in a simulated use pathway.

As the need for vascular access devices (VADs) continues to increase, so does the need for innovative designs and materials that can improve placement and optimize patient outcomes. Commercially available peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) are in high demand due to their ease of use and low cost. However, they are constructed of materials that can contribute to vascular injury and result in complications such as clotting, catheter failure, and infection. This study investigated the surface and frictional properties of a HydroPICC® device constructed of a novel, inherently lubricious bulk hydrogel. Investigators posited that these materials would lower the forces required to advance and retract the HydroPICC® devices and that the measured forces are significantly lower than those of two commercially available PICCs made of conventional thermoplastic polyurethane. The HydroPICC® device had a lower insertion and retraction force compared to both the PowerPICCTM and BioFloTM control devices based on an unpaired, two-sided t-test (P < .001). The HydroPICC® also exhibited a statistically significant decrease in average force when compared to both conventional PICCs (P < .001 and P = .001). When compared to PowerPICCTM, the lubricious high-strength HydroPICC® hydrogel device exhibited an 84% ± 25% reduction in average tracking force; additionally, when compared to a fluoro-oligomer modified TPU catheter (BioFloTM), the HydroPICC® device exhibited a 90 ± 32% reduction in average tracking force. The HydroPICC® technology represents a new method to reduce frictional forces of implantable devices. Clinical trials are needed to determine whether the differences in frictional properties between conventional VADs and HydroPICC® devices translate into improved clinical outcomes.

Robot-assisted ultrasound imaging: overview and development of a parallel telerobotic system.

Ultrasound imaging is frequently used in medicine. The quality of ultrasound images is often dependent on the skill of the sonographer. Several researchers have proposed robotic systems to aid in ultrasound image acquisition. In this paper we first provide a short overview of robot-assisted ultrasound imaging (US). We categorize robot-assisted US imaging systems into three approaches: autonomous US imaging, teleoperated US imaging, and human-robot cooperation. For each approach several systems are introduced and briefly discussed. We then describe a compact six degree of freedom parallel mechanism telerobotic system for ultrasound imaging developed by our research team. The long-term goal of this work is to enable remote ultrasound scanning through teleoperation. This parallel mechanism allows for both translation and rotation of an ultrasound probe mounted on the top plate along with force control. Our experimental results confirmed good mechanical system performance with a positioning error of < 1 mm. Phantom experiments by a radiologist showed promising results with good image quality.

PATIENT: Physical Anatomical Trainer Instrumented for Education and Non-Subjective Testing.

The PATIENT manikin (Physical Anatomical Trainer Instrumented for Education and Non-subjective Testing) is designed with the conflicting needs of a highly modular system for ultimate scenario flexibility and cost containment, and a highly realistic system. PATIENT provides a unique combination of capital and disposable components, with each organ treated as a limited-reuse component. The organs contain unobtrusive instrumentation which informs the PATIENT control unit of the organ status. The control unit can adjust whole-body parameters to reflect the local physiology. PATIENT enables tailored simulations, from Point of Injury training of basic life support, through hospital training including surgical interventions.

Cardiac ablation catheter guidance by means of a single equivalent moving dipole inverse algorithm.

BACKGROUND: We developed and evaluated a novel system for guiding radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy of ventricular tachycardia. This guidance system employs an inverse solution guidance algorithm (ISGA) using a single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD) localization method. The method and system were evaluated in both a saline tank phantom model and in vivo animal (swine) experiments. METHODS: A catheter with two platinum electrodes spaced 3 mm apart was used as the dipole source in the phantom study. A 40-Hz sinusoidal signal was applied to the electrode pair. In the animal study, four to eight electrodes were sutured onto the right ventricle. These electrodes were connected to a stimulus generator delivering 1-ms duration pacing pulses. Signals were recorded from 64 electrodes, located either on the inner surface of the saline tank or on the body surface of the pig, and then processed by the ISGA to localize the physical or bioelectrical SEMD. RESULTS: In the phantom studies, the guidance algorithm was used to advance a catheter tip to the location of the source dipole. The distance from the final position of the catheter tip to the position of the target dipole was 2.22 ± 0.78 mm in real space and 1.38 ± 0.78 mm in image space (computational space). The ISGA successfully tracked the locations of electrodes sutured on the ventricular myocardium and the movement of an endocardial catheter placed in the animal's right ventricle. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we successfully demonstrated the feasibility of using an SEMD inverse algorithm to guide a cardiac ablation catheter.