A multifunctional magnetic catheter robot (MCR) is proposed in this paper to treat occlusive vascular disease by generating steering, tunneling, and stent delivery motions. Using external magnetic fields generated by a closed-loop magnetic navigation system, the MCR can be manipulated remotely and can generate each motion by magnetic manipulation methods. The MCR has novel structures with a magnetic joint and tension springs for selective stent delivery. Constraints and a dynamic model were derived to specify the manipulation conditions for the selective treatment motions and design parameters of the MCR. Then, the MCR was prototyped, and the steering, tunneling, and stent delivery motions were verified by several experiments. Finally, an in vitro experiment with a pseudo blood clot was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the MCR and its motions for the treatment of occlusive vascular disease.

We propose a method to reconstruct a 3D coordinate system and a vascular map for the operation of magnetic medical robots (MMRs) controlled by a magnetic navigation system (MNS) using two 2D X-ray images and four corners of an MNS. Utilizing the proposed method, we calculated the relative rotation angle of a C-arm considering its rotational precision error. We derived the position information and 3D coordinate system of an MNS workspace in which the magnetic fields are generated and controlled by an MNS. The proposed method can also be utilized to reconstruct vascular maps. Reconstructed vascular maps are in the 3D coordinate system of the C-arm and can be transformed into the 3D coordinate system of an MNS workspace to generate the magnetic flux density with the desired direction and magnitude at the position of the MMR. The proposed method allows us to remotely and precisely control the MMR inserted into the vessel by controlling the external magnetic field. The proposed method was validated through in vitro experiments with an MNS mock-up and a vascular jig. Finally, the proposed method was applied to in vivo experiments where the MMR was inserted into the superficial femoral artery of a mini pig to remotely control the motion of the MMR. This research will enable precise and effective control of MMRs in various medical procedures utilizing an MNS.