Clinicians treating cancer and blood clots must balance the risk of medical interventions with their life-saving benefits. Biopsies to collect tissue for testing, ablations to kill diseased cells, and surgery or catheters to remove blood clots are effective but they’re also invasive. New microrobots – smaller than the diameter of a human hair – could reduce the need for invasive procedures.
“Our untethered microrobots can be guided through the body to deliver therapy exactly where it’s needed,” said Jinxing Li, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan State University. “We use 3D printing to build a hydrogel matrix embedded with iron oxide and cobalt ferrite. The magnetic quality of these two compounds allows us to guide the microrobots wirelessly from outside the body.
“In addition to being a more precise way to treat disease and disorders, procedures using microrobots are safer because they’re less invasive, have fewer side effects, and have shorter recovery times.”
When the microrobot’s work is done, its biodegradable components are broken down by the body’s natural processes and cleared out through the blood and kidneys.
Li notes that the microrobots could be vital in supporting rural and underserved areas where hospitals have a shortage of highly-specialized surgeons.
To learn more about Li’s work, visit:
- TriMag Microrobots: 3D-Printed Microrobots for Magnetic Actuation, Imaging, and Hyperthermia [Article]
- Li Lab website [Website]
- Jinxing Li profile [Website]
- Jinxing Li Google Scholar page [Website]
MSU College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page