High-performance tubular ionic polymer metal composite with Au electrode and application in steerable interventional catheter

IPMCs’ low voltage requirement, large deformation, fast response, and biocompatibility make them promising for soft robotics, artificial muscles, and miniaturized medical devices. However, traditional sheet/rod-shaped IPMCs cannot adapt to catheter structures, and existing tubular actuators have low performance, which greatly limits the application of IPMCs in the field of interventional surgery. This study developed high-performance tubular ionic polymer-metal composite actuators with gold electrodes (Au-TIPMC; 0.6 and 0.8 mm outer diameter). An optimized electroless gold plating process was employed to create a dense and uniform gold electrode layer on the tube surface, significantly enhancing the electrochemical performance. The Au-TIPMC actuators can generate a large tip displacement (up to 18.21 mm) at low voltages (4 ~ 7 V). A steerable interventional catheter integrated with the TIPMC actuator successfully achieved active navigation and branch selection in a human aortic model without guidewire assistance, demonstrating its potential for application in interventional medical devices.