Varicose vein treatments range from conventional surgical ligation and sclerotherapy to venous closure using biological adhesives. However, considering ease of procedure, recovery time, and cosmetic outcomes like minimal scarring, minimally invasive techniques employing lasers or radiofrequency are preferred. The efficacy of these methods heavily relies on clinician expertise and ultrasound imaging, with manual catheter retraction during cauterization presenting challenges, such as overlapping or untreated areas, especially in long vessels exceeding 1 meter, leading to increased procedure time and operator fatigue. To address these issues, we propose an automated catheter procedure for varicose veins. This system features a handpiece for energy generation control (laser, radiofrequency) operated near the clinician for convenience. We designed a pullback system that enables constant speed rotation and forward/backward movements of the catheter without moving the handpiece. Through handpiece operation, the catheter rotates at a set speed, and a roller-driven pullback action occurs as it winds on a reel, expanding the diameter of the reel for retraction while remaining stationary. Conversely, reducing the diameter of the reel facilitates forward movement. The length adjustment of the catheter based on winding turns on the reel makes it adaptable for various vascular procedures, enhancing the procedural accuracy and operator convenience.

As the market for minimally invasive procedures developed rapidly, there was an increase in the demand for high-precision, high-performance catheter fabrication technology. Sheath and dilator tubes are essential intervention devices for procedures, in which catheters are used and require precise dimensional accuracy, and uniform roundness and surface roughness. Polyethylene is used in sheath and dilator limitation for processability, which causes low melt flow index and side effects. Therefore, in the extrusion process using polyethylene, it is important to study the manufacturing of tubes with improved roundness and surface roughness. In this study, we proposed a calibrator for precise production with an aim to manufacture 5Fr micro-puncture tubes, and studied the changes in the roundness and surface roughness of tubes by changing the cooling water temperature and water disk thickness. As a result, it was found that the cooling water temperature and wafer disk thickness had an effect on the roundness and surface roughness, and the roundness had an effect on the formation of the wall thickness. Therefore, these experimental results were used as a study for the production of improved Sheath and Dilator tubes.

Catheter tip forming is processing the tip at the distal end so that catheter can move smoothly through the geometrically complex vascular structure. This thermoforming process has a problem in that the polymer tube adheres to the outer surface of the mold. To resolve this problem, previous researchers have coated the outer surface of the mold with PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), which has a low coefficient of friction. However, due to repeated use, the coating is detached and the polymer tube adheres to the mandrels again, and the mold is frequently replaced. Thus, in this study, three types of metal were electroplated on the surface of the mold in to realize the performance of the PTFE coating. To select the optimal plating material, Cr, Zn, and Ni were selected as candidate groups. Surface energy, adhesion force, and abrasion depth & volume were measured for performance comparison. As a result, Ni, which has similar surface properties to PTFE, and the best durability, was selected as the optimal material. Based on these results, we present Ni-plated mold that can replace PTFE.

The multi-lumen catheter with complex and small cross section is widely used for interventional radiology and minimally invasive surgery. It is manufactured in the polymer extrusion process with many manufacturing parameters. The profile of the extrudate is difficult to predict because it depends on the die shape and many parameters. In this paper, the effects of the manufacturing parameters for multi-lumen catheter extrusion are studied. The commercial software ANSYS Polyflow is used to simulate the polymer flow and predict the profile of the extrudate. The optimized die shape is used to achieve the target profile of the extrudate. The extrudate profiles are investigated with respect to the puller speeds at the end of the extrudate and blowing air pressure of each lumen. Circularity and major diameter are compared for the different manufacturing parameters. The effects of the manufacturing parameters on the profile of the extrudate are examined. The target profile of the extrudate is obtained with optimized manufacturing parameters.