Reducing the Guidewire Friction for Minimally Invasive Surgery by Ultrasonic Vibration

Minimally invasive surgery is widely recognized for its efficacy in treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, challenges arise when the guidewire navigates through complex and tortuous vessels, as the friction between the guidewire and the vessel wall can significantly impede its movement and potentially damage the vessel. Consequently, this chapter proposes the innovative application of ultrasonic vibration to minimally invasive procedures to mitigate this friction. Sliding tests of the guidewire on a silicon film are conducted to examine the impact of ultrasonic vibration on both the friction coefficient and the sliding distance. The findings indicate that the friction coefficient with ultrasound ( \( {\overline{\mu}}_{with}=0.047 \) ) is reduced by 16.07% compared to that ( \( {\overline{\mu}}_{no}=0.056 \) ) without ultrasound. Moreover, the sliding distance of the ultrasonic transducer moving with the tip of the guidewire (s2 = 73.22 mm) is 18.21 times that (s1 = 4.02 mm) of the ultrasonic transducer fixed. Furthermore, when the inclination angle of the silicon film is different (θ = 4.589 ° , θ = 6.123°), the sliding distance increases with the advancing distance.