University Honors

Pulmonary emboli are one of the most common causes of deaths annually. When patientsundergo anticoagulant therapy, they may either experience long-term health effects or evenexperience another PE. Therefore, surgical interventions have been introduced to remove PEs.There are several commercially available surgical tools that remove PEs by using catheters todeliver thrombolytic agents to lyse the clot. However, some patients may have contraindicationsto the delivered drugs, so patients opt to have their PEs removed mechanically. However, the tipof the catheter that physically breaks apart PEs can only move in low degrees of freedom, whichcould result in some fragments getting left behind in the vessel since the catheter cannot press thefragments against the surface area of the vessel. Additionally, tips made with metal meshes poseharm to the vessel tissue. Our research presents the design and fabrication of a hydraulic helicalsoft actuator aimed at enhancing surgical catheters to remove pulmonary emboli (PE). Ourresearch progressed from a macroscale to microscale actuator to validate the design andfabrication process that produces the coiling mechanism. At the macroscale level, the actuator’soptimal shape, chamber size, materials, and power supply-coiling relationship were determined,showing that the actuator starts performing a clear coiling motion after 10 mL of air is supplied.Validating and testing the macroscale actuator allows us to apply the fabrication procedure to amicroscale actuator in a similar manner. However, an additional step to create the microscaleactuator is needed, which is creating a mold made of an alternative material. Currently, we are inthe process of determining how this mold should be created. Getting past this step will allow usto move forward to apply the same macroscale fabrication procedure to the microscale actuator.This research offers a comprehensive and methodical approach to developing a soft roboticactuator that is compatible with the human body and capable of effectively removing PEs.