Researchers from the Korean Hanyang University and Chonnam National University in Gwangiu have presented their research on using microbots in creating a new navigation system that is controlled by a magnetic field present externally.
These Microbots have created a new channel for therapeutic technology. These robots measure less than a millimetre in size and hence are capable of travelling through the human blood stream for targeted drug delivery in therapeutic treatment. The robots can also be used for destroying tumours or blood clots or infections located at various places in the human anatomy with precision leaving out the healthy tissue unaffected.
The challenge lies in designing the driving system that navigates the robot through the complex anatomy with precision to reach the intended spot. The researchers have come up with a new concept of using an external magnetic field for driving the robot. The magnetic field is capable of making the robots move in two patterns, helical cork-screw type of motion, and translational motion. The former type of movement propels the microbots forward or backward or digs into blood clots or tumours, while the latter type of motion helps in moving into the branches of the artery. During the testing phase of the navigation system, the researchers made the microbot steer through a mock blood vessel that was filled with water. After the success of the testing phase, the team will extend the usage of the microbot through nerves, eye and the urinary system etc.
Source: http://www.aip.org/