Grain-sized robot could change how doctors deliver drugs

Bradley J. Nelson, an author of the paper in Science and a professor of robotics at ETH Zurich, said the team has barely begun to understand what this technology will make possible. He expects surgeons will find many new uses once they see how precise the tool becomes inside the body.

The robot sits inside a capsule that surgeons guide with magnetic fields. They steer it with a handheld controller that feels familiar and intuitive. Surrounding the patient are six electromagnetic coils. Each coil generates a magnetic force that can push or pull the capsule in any direction.

By combining the fields, surgeons can navigate through blood vessels or cerebrospinal fluid with accuracy. The magnetic force is strong enough to move the capsule even against the flow of blood. This control lets the robot reach places most tools cannot access safely.

The capsule is made from safe materials used in other medical devices such as tantalum, which gives it visibility on X-rays. It also contains iron oxide nanoparticles developed at ETH Zurich. These particles respond to magnets and help the capsule move. Gelatin binds the nanoparticles, the metal and the medication together.

When the capsule reaches its target, surgeons can dissolve the capsule on command. Doctors track every move in real time with X-ray imaging.

If this technology succeeds, future treatments may feel very different from the ones you get today. Instead of receiving medicine that affects your whole body, you may receive therapy that reaches only the exact spot that needs attention. That shift could reduce side effects, shorten recovery times and open the door to new drug designs that were once too risky to use.

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If doctors could send a tiny robot directly to the source of a medical problem, what treatment would you want this technology to improve first? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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