Abstract
We have developed a computer-based system to simulate a guidewire and a catheter in blood vessels for surgical planning, intra-operative assistance, and to facilitate the design of new guidewires and catheters. We have also developed an experimental apparatus which can be used not only for the validation of the numerical analyses but also as a simulation system. However, we have not evaluated the catheter motion in the experimental apparatus. Therefore in this study, first we added a mechanism to move the catheter to the experimental apparatus. Second, we evaluated the deformation behaviors of the guidewire and the catheter by the measurement of the 3D position and the contact force between the medical devices and the vessel. Finally, we compared the calculation results with the experimental results. The same tendency was seen in the trajectories and the contact force of both the experimental and calculated guidewire and catheter tips.