A team of engineers and physicians has developed a steerable catheter that for the first time will give neurosurgeons the ability to steer the device in any direction they want while navigating the brain’s arteries and blood vessels. The device was inspired by nature, specifically insect legs and flagella — tail-like structures that allow microscopic organisms such as bacteria to swim.
The team from the University of California San Diego describes the breakthrough in the Aug. 18 issue of Science Robotics.
