Detaching thin catheter from adhesion on blood vessel wall using acoustic radiation force with solid vibration

Abstract

We have previously performed experiments where we used acoustic radiation force to bend thin catheters. Before considering clinical applications of this technique, it is necessary to examine effects and countermeasures for when catheters come into contact with vessel walls. Therefore, we explored this by bringing catheters into contact with a rubber sheet and a porcine carotid artery. We encountered the problem that the displacement of the catheter was less than 5% of the non-contacted state due to the adhesion between the catheter and the vessel wall. We succeeded in detaching and bending the catheter from the vessel wall by introducing not only a sound field design but also a method for vibrating the catheter. In addition, it was confirmed that the behavior of a catheter differs depending on the angle between the direction of vibration of the catheter and the sound axis, therefore we established a suitable vibration pattern.