5. University of California, San Diego: Steerable catheter for brain aneurysm treatment
Researchers at the University of California at San Diego have developed a way to make steerable catheters that can precisely navigate the brain vasculature.
The team of researchers designed the device to navigate the brain’s arteries and blood vessels to treat aneurysms and other neurological conditions. It was inspired by insect legs and flagella tail-like structures that allow microscopic organisms to swim, according to the researchers.
The catheter is guided through a handheld controller that the surgeon compresses to pass saline fluid into the tip of the catheter to steer it. The catheter’s steerable tip is visible on X-rays. So far, the steerable catheter has been successfully tested in pigs at the Center for Future of Surgery at UC San Diego.
Read more about the steerable catheter here.
