Control of a medical microrobot in 2D vascular phantoms with pulsatile flow using a pair of electromagnetic coils

Endovascular coiling, if possible, is the preferred surgical treatment for cerebral aneurysms as it is minimal invasive. The use of endovascular coiling is limited by the accessibility to the cerebrovascular system by catheter. This study investigated the feasibility of a single electromagnetic coil pair system to control a microrobot in vascular phantoms to eventually increase the potential treatment area of endovascular coiling. The microrobot was controlled by electromagnetic force under no flow, constant flow, and pulsatile fluid flow in a straight tube and Y-branch. In a straight tube without flow the microrobot was navigated in a range of 35 mm with an average position error of 0.85 mm. The resulting average position error for the Y-branch under pulsatile flow was approximately 3 mm while the microrobot was moved by nearly 38 mm. These results will be the foundation for more complex experiments and are a step towards 3D control of a microrobot in the cerebrovascular system to improve catheter guidance.