This study aims to assess the feasibility of using a combination of thin elastomer tubes and SMA wires to develop an active catheter. Cardiac catheters have been widely used in investigational and interventional procedures such as angiography, angioplasty, electro- physiology, and endocardial ablation. The commercial models manually steer inside the patient’s body via internally installed pull wires. Active catheters, on the other hand, have the potential to revolutionize surgical procedures because of their computer-controlled and enhanced motion. Shape memory alloys have been used for almost a decade as a trustworthy actuator for biomedical applications. In this work, SMA wires were attached to a small pressurized elastomer tube to realize deflection. The tube was pressurized to maintain a constant stress on the SMA wires. The tip motion via actuation of SMA wires was then measured and reported. The results of this study showed that by adopting an appropriate training process for the SMA wires prior to performing the experiments and adopting an appropriate internal pressure for the elastomer tube, less external loads on SMA wires would be needed for a consistent actuation.
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