Design of Catheter Insertion System for Canaloplasty Based on Magnetic Navigation Technology

Canaloplasty is a new and effective method for the treatment of glaucoma. During the procedure, a flexible microcatheter equipped with an optical fiber must be inserted and navigated within the Schlemm's canal. However, due to the difficulty in controlling the direction of the catheter during insertion, the success rate of the surgery depends on the experience and proficiency of the surgeon. This paper proposed a magnetic navigation system based on electromagnets to guide the direction of the catheter and assist the surgeon in smoothly performing the catheter insertion operation. The layout of the system was designed based on the requirements of the operation, and the current of the electromagnet was calculated by the optimization algorithm to achieve the control of the magnetic field. Simulations confirmed that the magnetic field variations during the navigation process were within the feasible solution domain, indicating that the system's solution space could meet the requirements for navigating the magnet along the target path. Finally, experiments were conducted for further validation, demonstrating that the system could achieve positional control of the catheter, guiding the magnet along a predetermined path.