Feasibility Analysis of Novel Grinding Device With PVDF Sensor in Coronary Rotational Atherectomy

Coronary rotational atherectomy (CRA) is a kind of percutaneous coronary intervention, which removes calcified tissue through the grinding tool at high speed. But excessive grinding force during CRA is prone to occurrence of complications. For this purpose, based on polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) film, a pressure sensor integrated into grinding tool was fabricated, which can measure the grinding force in real-time. In operation, there is a deformation in PVDF sensor when it collides with vascular/calcified tissue, and feedback the charge signals. A fabricated model was used to test the sensor, which shows that the sensitivity of sensor reaches 1049 mV/N, and the response and recovery time are 2.240 and 1.320 ms, respectively. The experimental results show that the sensor could accurately distinguish whether the tool collides with vessels/calcified tissue and measure real-time grinding force. The fabricated sensor has great significance in reducing the complications caused by excessive grinding force.