Design and implementation of a medical device test stand for micro-catheters and guide-wires

The use of catheters and guide-wires in minimally invasive therapeutic approaches is an important part of clinical practice. In the neurovascular field, the unique nature of cerebral blood vessels necessitates very thin-walled and flexible catheters. The blood vessels in question are highly branched and at the same time can be less than one millimetre in diameter. This results in high demands on micro-catheters and guide-wires for successful endovascular therapy. The interaction of these surgical tools and the vessel wall is of especial interest. Depending on the catheter stiffness, this interaction can be friction, punctual collision or straightening. The work aims to design and implement a test setup for evaluation of these interactions with the vessel wall. For this purpose, a standardized vessel course with representative characteristics is necessary. Furthermore, by implementing suitable measuring equipment, an endovascular intervention can be simulated.