High sensitivity vasculature models and catheter trajectory reconstruction using a bi-planar vision system

Simulator based evaluation has been used for medical licensing, intravascular tools evaluation and robotic catheter insertion systems research. However it is need to develop quantitative evaluation methods for the catheter trajectory inside vasculature phantoms. In this study we present two technologies developed for that purpose. First we present models of vasculature made of epoxy resin with higher sensitivity for photoelastic effect than previously used modeling materials. The second contribution for that purpose is a stereovision system for measuring evaluation parameters such as catheter tip motion capture, model deformation and stress within the model at 3fps enabling comparison catheter trajectories and catheter insertion robot control. Models of carotid artery, saccular aneurysm with bleb, aorta arch and giant aneurysm were built using the epoxy resin. And for the robot control using the vision system, from 10 consecutive trials of trajectory reconstruction in a model of carotid artery a success rate of 80% was obtained with feedback control activated.