Development of Peristaltic Active Catheter using a 3D printer

Abstract

In this research, we are studying and developing a self-propelled catheter that utilizes the peristaltic movement found in nematodes and other worms. The catheter is driven by water pressure, and water is pumped through the septum in the operating chamber and through the holes that allow fluid to pass through, causing the operating chamber to expand sequentially to achieve peristaltic motion. However, manufacturing the mechanism for peristaltic motion is extremely difficult because it requires the use of elastic materials such as rubber-like materials. To solve this problem, we used a 3D printer that can use elastic materials. Through this attempt, the previous study succeeded in fabricating a catheter capable of peristaltic motion. However, the mechanism was slow because the amount of movement of one motion was small, so it was necessary to increase the speed by increasing the amount of movement of the mechanism. In this report, we design and develop a mechanism with an increased amount of movement per movement, and confirm through experiments whether the design is optimal for improving the movement speed.