Steerable catheters in minimally invasive vascular surgery.
BACKGROUND
Remote-controlled catheter navigation systems have recently been introduced into minimally invasive vascular surgery and some of them have already been applied in clinical practice. Steerable catheters with improved manoeuvrability play an important role in these innovations for conventional catheterization.


METHODS
This review details the development of various steerable catheters, both in use clinically and under investigation. Comprehensive comparison and analysis in several key aspects are followed to reveal both the advantages and limitations of these catheters, as well as the requirements for relevant techniques.


RESULTS
Steerable catheters are able to select direction in the distal end, and superior to conventional counterparts in many aspects. Differences between magnetic and active catheters mainly lie in function, safety, configuration of operating room and cost. They have similar requirements for miniaturization and slave insertion mechanisms.


CONCLUSIONS
Steerable catheters are rapidly evolving and still require technological refinements to extend current capabilities.
State Key Laboratory of Robotics and System, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, People's Republic of China.
Yili
Y
Fu
Hao
H
Liu
Wentai
W
Huang
Shuguo
S
Wang
Zhaoguang
Z
Liang
D002404:Catheterization; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods