Tension Sensing for a Linear Actuated Catheter Robot

Cardiac ablation therapy is an effective minimally invasive treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. The procedure is delicate and complex in nature requiring particular sections of the heart to be ablated. When operated by an experienced electrophysiologist, the procedure normally takes 2 to 3 hours. It is often conducted under fluoroscopic X-ray guidance and longer procedure times can increase the radiation burden of both the operator and patient. Earlier, we had proposed a robot-assisted tendon-guided catheter that can be navigated using radiation-free MRI imaging. In this paper, we propose a tension-feedback mechanism that provides vital control over its guiding tendons. We describe how it can be achieved using tension sensing and demonstrate using experiments and finite element simulations that feedback based on accurate tension sensing is plausible.