Through the bloodstream with micro-robots

The challenge:

At the interface between physics and medicine as well as materials science and engineering, micro- and nanorobots are opening up a wide range of applications in medicine (e.g. in the treatment of tumours, aneurysms and thromboses). Micro-robots can reach areas of the body that would otherwise be inaccessible. They also enable the targeted administration of drugs. One of the most pressing questions at present is how to achieve selective actuation of nanorobots.

From the presentation:

In addition to catalytic nanorobotics, biohybrid robots, light-controlled nanorobots and ultrasound, magnetic microrobotics is a key area of research.

Magnetically functionalised micro- and nanostructures can be aligned, moved and navigated externally by magnetic fields. Electromagnetic systems allow flexible control, even of entire swarms of magnetic nanorobots. Particle swarms in rotating magnetic fields can develop dynamic properties that go beyond the behaviour of isolated particles. These include increased effective speeds and stable collective movement patterns. By varying field parameters, it is not only possible to accelerate or decelerate movement. Swarms can be divided and their shape changed. Subgroups can be directed in different directions and arranged spatially separately. From an application perspective, this opens up the possibility of not only delivering drug carriers to a target, but also distributing them in a targeted manner, concentrating them locally or reorganising them in the target area (e.g. to dissolve kidney stones) and, in principle, developing therapy options that are as patient-specific as possible. Suitable imaging techniques, preferably in real time, are crucial here, as they

combine navigation and position control.

Prospects:

This field of research opens up a range of medical applications from an interdisciplinary perspective. Application issues are particularly closely linked to material issues. Depending on the application, it must be clarified whether a system is biodegradable, can be removed or is deliberately left in place as an implant.