STEERABLE MICROCATHETERS ACTUATED BY EMBEDDED CONDUCTING POLYMER STRUCTURES

Steerable microstructures, i.e., catheters, are presented. They exploi t the electromechanochemical phenomena of pi-electron conjugated condu cting polymers occurring when ionic species are exchanged with the sur rounding medium. In this paper we considered polypyrrole as conducting polymer and a fast ionic conductor solid polyelectrolyte as ionic res ervoir. Experimental determination of the governing material constants , modelling of conducting polymer/solid polyelectrolyte composite mate rial and finite element computer simulations of the mechanical propert ies of cylindrical structures provide favourable indication about the feasibility of effective steerable, miniaturised catheters.