Researchers at the Precision Driving and Control Institute, College of Aerospace Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (NUAA), working under the guidance of Academician Zhao Chunsheng, have developed a micro ultrasonic motor that spins an optical imaging probe directly from the tip of a catheter — a step towards clearer, more stable imaging inside the brain's blood vessels.
The study, "Neurointerventional optical coherence tomography using a piezo-driven microprobe", was published in Biomedical Optics Express, where it was selected as an Editor's Pick and featured on the journal cover. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) catheters usually rotate their probe with an external motor and a long drive shaft, which can cause non-uniform rotational distortion and blurred images. The problem is greater in cerebral vessels, which are smaller and more tortuous than coronary arteries.
The team's motor is about 4 mm long and 0.55 mm in diameter and sits at the catheter tip. According to the researchers, the design could give more stable images and a simpler, lower-cost disposable catheter, while reducing reliance on imported core components. So far the probe has been tested on laboratory models and tissue samples; further development and testing are needed before clinical use.
The first author is PhD student Wang Baiquan, co-supervised by Academician Zhao Chunsheng and Professor Wu Dawei. Professor Wu and Liu Rui, deputy director of Neurology at the Eastern Theater Command General Hospital, are the corresponding authors. The work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Jiangsu Frontier Technology R&D Program, and has been covered by international outlets including Optica, Physics World and EurekAlert!.
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