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Microswimmer Robots to Drill Through Blocked Arteries

An international team of engineers from South Korea, Switzerland and the United States is working on microscopic magnetic robotic beads that could act like “swimmers” and may one day be used to break up blood vessel occlusions.

These microrobots are chains of three or more iron oxide beads, linked together via chemical bonds and magnetic force. These chains are very small, on the order of nanometers, and can navigate in the bloodstream like a tiny boat.

American mechanical engineers at Drexel University explain that the beads are put in motion by an “external magnetic field that causes each of them to rotate.”

Because they are linked together, their individual rotations cause the chain to twist like a corkscrew, the movement propelling the microswimmers. By controlling the magnetic field, researchers can control the speed and direction of the microswimmers.

These microrobots may one day be able to navigate even the narrowest vessels, drilling through occlusions that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Microswimmer Robots to Drill Through Blocked Arteries

Details

  • United States
  • Celia Sampol

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