Micromachined actuators/sensors for intratubular positioning/steering
- Walnut Creek, CA
- Mountain View, CA
- Berkeley, CA
- French Camp, CA
Micromachined thin film cantilever actuators having means for individually controlling the deflection of the cantilevers, valve members, and rudders for steering same through blood vessels, or positioning same within a blood vessel, for example. Such cantilever actuators include tactile sensor arrays mounted on a catheter or guide wire tip for navigation and tissues identification, shape-memory alloy film based catheter/guide wire steering mechanisms, and rudder-based steering devices that allow the selective actuation of rudders that use the flowing blood itself to help direct the catheter direction through the blood vessel. While particularly adapted for medical applications, these cantilever actuators can be used for steering through piping and tubing systems.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- Assignee:
- Regents of University of California (Oakland, CA)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5771902
- OSTI ID:
- 871652
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Microvalve
Microvalve
Related Subjects
actuators
sensors
intratubular
positioning
steering
film
cantilever
means
individually
controlling
deflection
cantilevers
valve
rudders
blood
vessels
vessel
example
tactile
sensor
arrays
mounted
catheter
guide
wire
tip
navigation
tissues
identification
shape-memory
alloy
based
mechanisms
rudder-based
devices
allow
selective
actuation
flowing
help
direct
direction
particularly
adapted
medical
applications
piping
tubing
systems
blood vessel
cantilever actuators
guide wire
sensor array
memory alloy
medical applications
particularly adapted
sensor arrays
steering mechanisms
alloy film
blood vessels
individually controlling
film cantilever
/128/