Ultrasound sensors installed in blood vessel model for intravascular surgery procedures

Intravascular surgery using catheters is a lesser invasive treatment for vascular disease than conventional surgery procedure. It is necessary for doctors to manipulate a guidewire and a catheter in blood vessel to the targeted diseased area via carotid artery in the case of intravascular surgery in the brain. Though a blood vessel model is useful for training of doctors in the field of the intravascular surgery, evaluations of their skill and efficacy of the training are insufficient. In this study, ultrasound micro sensors mounted on flexible substrates have been fabricated for installing in the blood vessel model locally. The sensor was located near the cerebral blood vessel model to measure displacement of the blood vessel wall of the model and the catheter when the catheter contacts and pushes the blood vessel wall from inside. When delay time of reflected echo signal shifted 0.453 μs, displacement of blood vessel wall was calculated as 0.339 mm. It is expected that the blood vessel model with sensors is useful to evaluate skillfulness of doctor's technique and effectiveness of training.