A cylindrical ionic polymer-metal composite-based robotic catheter platform: modeling, design and control

Ionic polymer metal composites (IPMCs) are soft electroactive polymers that have recently gained considerable attention in biomedical engineering as actuators and sensors. This study focuses on modeling, design and control of a cylindrical IPMC actuator with sectored electrodes. The cylindrical IPMC allows for multi-degree of freedom motion and accurate control of the tip location that can be utilized in biomedical active catheter devices. A three-dimensional finite element model is constructed to describe the physics of cylindrical IPMC actuation. The model is implemented to conduct optimization studies that provide conceptual designs that can maximize deflection, force output, and twisting actuation. Also, a cylindrical tube-shaped IPMC is designed and fabricated. This type of IPMC offers the ability to embed a specific tool and accurately control the tool tip location, which is critical in catheter procedures. To effectively utilize the tube-type IPMC, a closed-loop control system is created based on the electromechanical model and tested in different actuation settings. To improve functionality and the user interface the control system is designed to work on a laptop touchpad. (paper)