Reaching the brain’s tiniest blood vessels—often thinner than a human hair—has long challenged doctors performing delicate procedures such as removing clots, stopping bleeding, or delivering localized chemotherapy. Traditional microcatheters, maneuvered by guidewires through a push-pull-torque technique, risk damaging fragile vessel walls and still can’t access the narrowest arteries. To overcome these limitations, researchers have designed an ultraminiaturized magnetic microcatheter that harnesses blood flow and magnetic steering to safely navigate deep within the body.

Unlike conventional round catheters, the new microcatheter named MagFlow developed at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland), features a ribbon-like flat polymer design with a magnetic tip. This allows it to glide through vessels using the bloodstream’s natural motion—reducing friction and contact with vessel walls. The device’s dual polymer layers enable it to inflate like a hose, delivering both thin and viscous therapeutic liquids.

To control the catheter, the team also created OmniMag, a robotic steering platform with a robotic arm-mounted magnetic field generator. Doctors can manipulate a stylus, and the system automatically calculates the magnetic field orientation needed to direct MagFlow’s tip precisely. In preclinical experiments in Paris, researchers successfully catheterized highly curved arteries in the head, neck, and spine of pigs, delivering contrast and embolizing agents safely and efficiently.

The results, published in Science Robotics, validated MagFlow’s flow-driven navigation concept as a practical clinical solution for hard-to-reach vascular regions. The team envisions MagFlow being used to treat hemorrhagic strokes, arteriovenous malformations, and even retinoblastoma in pediatric cancer patients. They are also collaborating with clinicians to adapt the technology for ophthalmic use.

“Our experimental results elevate the flow-driven navigation concept into a viable clinical solution that can ultimately unlock new treatment avenues for cardiovascular conditions,” said recent EPFL graduate Lucio Pancaldi.

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