Toward “S”-Shaped 3D-Printed Soft Robotic Guidewires for Pediatric Patent Ductus Arteriosus Endovascular Interventions

Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) is a heart condition in which the ductus arteriosus-a blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery to the aorta in a fetus-fails to undergo closure after birth. A PDA can be an important factor in neonates born with severe congenital heart disease (CHD) or born prematurely. With the advent of new intravascular stent technologies, treatments based on ductus arteriosus stenting can now be completed in many cases; however, difficulties remain in accessing the ductus arteriosus in small babies successfully using current guidewire-catheter systems. Recent developments for soft robotic endovascular instruments that leverage control schemes hold distinctive potential for addressing these access challenges, but such technologies are not yet at the sizes required for navigating neonatal vasculature safely and efficiently. In an effort to meet this clinical need, this work presents an approach for 3D printing 1.5 French (Fr) soft robotic guidewires that transition from straight to “S”-shaped configurations under the application of fluidic (e.g., pneumatic or hydraulic) loading. Two distinct dual-opposing segmented soft actuators, including a symmetric and asymmetric system design (both with heights of 2.5 mm), were 3D printed onto 1.1 Fr capillaries in 35–60 minutes via “Two-Photon Direct Laser Writing (DLW)”. Experimental results revealed that both designs not only withstood pressures of up to 550 kPa, but also exhibited increased opposing bending deformations-corresponding to decreased radii of curvature-with increasing applied pressure. In combination, this study serves as a critical foundation for next-generation fluidically actuated soft robotic guidewire-catheter systems for PDA interventions.