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Swiss scientists have built robot the size of a grain sand Surgeons manipulate it with magnets and move it through blood vessels to place the medicine exactly where it is needed.
Bradley J. Nelson, author of the Science paper and professor of robotics at ETH Zurich, said the team has barely begun to understand what the technology will make possible. He expects surgeons to find many new uses once they see how precise this tool becomes inside the body.
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Medical instruments are becoming smaller as researchers push drug delivery toward more precise treatments. (iStock)
A RICE-SIZED ROBOT COULD MAKE BRAIN SURGERY SAFER AND LESS INVASIVE
How does a magnetically controlled microrobot work?
The robot sits inside a capsule that surgeons control using magnetic fields. They control it with a handheld controller that feels familiar and intuitive. The patient is surrounded by six electromagnetic coils. Each coil generates a magnetic force that can push or pull the capsule in any direction.
By combining fields, surgeons can navigate blood vessels or cerebrospinal fluid with precision. The magnetic force is strong enough to move the capsule even against the flow of blood. This control allows the robot to reach areas that most tools cannot safely access.
The capsule is made from safe materials used in other medical devices, such as tantalum, which makes it visible in X-rays. It also contains iron oxide nanoparticles developed at ETH Zurich. These particles react to magnets and help the capsule move. Gelatin binds nanoparticles, metal and drug together.
Once the capsule reaches its target, surgeons can dissolve the capsule on command. Doctors track every movement in real time using X-ray images.
HUMANOID ROBOT PERFORMS MEDICAL PROCEDURES USING REMOTE CONTROL
Why targeted drug delivery matters
Many drugs fail during development because they spread throughout the body rather than remaining in the area requiring treatment. This proliferation causes unwanted side effects. Even simple medications such as aspirin show how this works. You take a pill for a headache and the medicine leaks everywhere.
The materials inside the capsule work together to respond to magnetic fields, transport the drug, and dissolve when it reaches its target. (iStock)
A microrobot capable of delivering drugs directly to a tumor, blood vessel or abnormal tissue could solve this problem. ETH Zurich researchers say capsule may help treat aggressive aneurysms brain cancerand arteriovenous malformations. Tests on pigs and silicone models of blood vessels show encouraging results. The team believes the system could enter human clinical trials within three to five years.
What does this mean for you
If this technology is successful, future treatments could be very different from the ones you receive today. Instead of taking medications that affect the entire body, you can get therapy that targets only the area that needs attention. This shift could reduce side effects, shorten recovery times and open the door to developing new drugs that were once too risky to use.
Precision care can also make complex procedures safer for patients who cannot tolerate invasive surgery. Families doing aggressive cancer or delicate vascular diseases may ultimately benefit from approaches based on targeted tools rather than broad systemic drugs.
ROBOTS WORK LIKE HUMAN SURGEONS BY JUST WATCHING A VIDEO
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Kurt's key takeaways
The idea of ​​a grain-sized robot moving through the bloodstream sounds bold, but the science behind it is moving forward quickly. The researchers showed that the capsule moved precisely, tracked well in imaging, and dissolved on command. Early results hint at a future in which drug delivery becomes much more targeted and less harmful. This work is still in its early stages, but it already points to a new era medical robotics.
Researchers are creating a tiny medical robot controlled by magnetic fields that can target tumors and treat brain cancer with precision. (iStock)
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If doctors could send a tiny robot straight to the source of a medical problem, what treatment would you want to improve with this technology first? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.
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