Proposal of thermoelectric actuator and development of active catheter

A new concept of a thermoelectric actuator comprised of shape memory alloy and Peltier elements has been proposed. The shape memory alloy is heated or cooled simultaneously by Peltier elements and the efficient and quick move ment can be achieved. The thermoelectric actuator has been applied to a med ical catheter. The operating principle and mechanism of the catheter are de scribed. The developed active catheter, which can bend and twist according to the current supplied to the Peltier elements, shows the fast response an d can be operated with less power consumption.