MTS test fixture to measure catheter stiffness.

Project Overview

Microcatheters are complex medical devices that are utilized for a variety of intravascular procedures. Boston Scientific currently lacks adequate methods to determine mechanical properties of their microcatheters. The stiffness profile of the catheters must be determined to identify taper zones and transition points. We hypothesized that thicker sections of the catheter would require higher bending forces than thinner sections, and the difference in required forces would be observable during testing with a UTM. This hypothesis was based on an initial mechanical model focused on internal bending forces. Our team fabricated a fixture which enabled analysis of bending forces required to deform microcatheters. As a result of our microcatheter testing, a scaled up “macrocatheter” model was created, and the initial mathematical model was reevaluated. Our “macrocatheter” testing validated our initial hypothesis. Our team’s mathematical model was modified, and this updated model fits our experimental results and validates our hypothesis. The team is now prepared to move forward by scaling down the testing apparatus to be sensitive to microcatheters and work validate our test protocol through statistical analysis.

Team Picture

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Contact Information

Team Members

• Justin Deshaw - Team Leader
• Julia Garofalo - Communicator
• Grant Karlsson Ellifson - BSAC
• Emily Knott - BWIG
• Will Fox - BPAG

Advisor and Client

• Prof. Paul Thompson - Advisor
• Mrs. Kelsey Cooper - Client
• Ms. Lisa Shoemaker - Alternate Contact

Related Projects

• Spring 2019: Boston Scientific: Catheter stiffness profile test development
• Fall 2018: Boston Scientific: Catheter stiffness profile test development