▲Robot catheter system



Flexible, flexible shape for insertion into internal organs and easy manipulation
Application of 'Variable Stiffness Control' technology… High stiffness facilitates easy procedures

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), under the Ministry of Science and ICT, is developing a robotic catheter system for interventional procedures involving the heart, lungs, and bladder, and is taking the lead in follow-up research for cooperation with various institutions and commercialization.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials announced that it has developed a robotic catheter system for use in interventional procedures on the heart, lungs, bladder, and other organs of domestic patients.

This is the first robotic catheter system capable of being inserted into an organ in Korea.

The newly developed robotic catheter is a flexible guiding catheter that guides the catheter to the target location for deep insertion without damaging organ tissue.

It can be bent in two directions, making it easy to move to the desired position and simple to operate. In addition, it consists of two guiding catheters, with the outer catheter acting as a fixation to prevent shaking, while the inner catheter allows for flexible movement.

The research team announced that they implemented tension control in the robotic catheter using 'variable stiffness control' technology.

Variable stiffness control technology was developed to operate by connecting a motor to each strand of the drive wire on a one-to-one basis, and it works by measuring the tension of the drive wire and transmitting it to the connected motor.

When inserting the robotic catheter, it is inserted gently with low rigidity to protect organ tissues from damage, and during the procedure, the robotic catheter acts as a support with high rigidity, making the procedure easier.

The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials stated that, unlike existing foreign products that use springs, the newly developed robotic catheter is more flexible in the form of a soft tube, resulting in less tissue damage.

In addition, they stated that safety has been ensured because the same materials and heat treatment methods used for manual catheters currently employed in major human organs are utilized, and since it operates as a robotic system, it can reduce radiation exposure for medical personnel during the arrhythmia diagnosis process.

Kim Ki-young, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, said, “This achievement is significant as it involves the development of a robotic catheter system capable of reducing radiation exposure using domestic technology, and it utilizes robotic technology to simplify the operation of the catheter and control its rigidity.” He added, “We will continue to help patients with heart, lung, and bladder diseases through follow-up research for commercialization and cooperation with various institutions, including companies and hospitals.”