Active exploration and reconstruction of vascular networks using microrobot swarms

Abstract

Angiography is essential in interventional operations to image the vascular network. Passive contrast agents applied in angiography highly rely on the flow direction, making the imaging of upstream regions and embolic branches challenging. Active imaging is demanded for the accurate localization of blockages and lesions in vascular networks. Here an active exploration and reconstruction strategy is proposed, enabling full imaging of three-dimensional (3D) vascular networks with flow and blockage. The strategy implements magnetic particle swarms as active agents, which can be guided on demand towards the desired directions. An image processing unit is developed to capture the 3D position of the swarm inside the vessel. A simultaneous mapping and exploration sequence is proposed to realize the exploration, and the entire structure of the 3D vascular network is reconstructed after obtaining the position data. The proposed strategy is validated in vascular networks with different structures and conditions, and it enables the thorough exploration and reconstruction of regions that cannot be accessed by passive contrast agents. This strategy is promising in locating stenoses, thrombi and fistulae in vascular systems. Vascular imaging of upstream branches and obstructed flow is challenging. Here Du and colleagues present an active exploration strategy to explore and reconstruct three-dimensional vascular networks.