1
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Dynamical electromagnetic actuation system for microscale manipulation. ROBOTICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1017/s0263574722000418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Electromagnetic actuation systems (EMA) have excelled themselves in microscale manipulation. Yet, the fastened structure of the current systems tethers the controlled workspace. In this paper, a new electromagnetic actuation principle is investigated. The actuator structure consists of a pair of coaxially movable electromagnets integrated to a robotic manipulator. The pair induces a coaxial homogeneous magnetic field or gradient to control the magnitude of the magnetic torque or force by changing the distance between the electromagnets asymmetrically. The robotic manipulator, on the other hand, transports the pair at five degrees of freedom to manipulate a microrobot in 3D space by closed-loop control with integrated vision feedback system. Numerical analyses are performed to investigate the induced electromagnetic field at the symmetrical/asymmetrical configuration of the coaxial pair. Accordingly, a correlation between the magnitude of the magnetic force and the asymmetric distance is obtained for flexible force control. A proof of concept prototype is constructed to validate the proposed actuation principle and evaluate its performance experimentally. The experimental results verify the numerical analysis and show the system applicability of inducing controlled forces on a micro-object in 2D and 3D workspaces at a velocity range of 65 to 157
$\mu$
m/s. Moreover, micromanipulation on a helical route is also demonstrated with an absolute error mean from the reference path of 191
$\mu$
m.
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2
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Abstract
In contrast to conventional hard actuators, soft actuators offer many vivid advantages, such as improved flexibility, adaptability, and reconfigurability, which are intrinsic to living systems. These properties make them particularly promising for different applications, including soft electronics, surgery, drug delivery, artificial organs, or prosthesis. The additional degree of freedom for soft actuatoric devices can be provided through the use of intelligent materials, which are able to change their structure, macroscopic properties, and shape under the influence of external signals. The use of such intelligent materials allows a substantial reduction of a device's size, which enables a number of applications that cannot be realized by externally powered systems. This review aims to provide an overview of the properties of intelligent synthetic and living/natural materials used for the fabrication of soft robotic devices. We discuss basic physical/chemical properties of the main kinds of materials (elastomers, gels, shape memory polymers and gels, liquid crystalline elastomers, semicrystalline ferroelectric polymers, gels and hydrogels, other swelling polymers, materials with volume change during melting/crystallization, materials with tunable mechanical properties, and living and naturally derived materials), how they are related to actuation and soft robotic application, and effects of micro/macro structures on shape transformation, fabrication methods, and we highlight selected applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indra Apsite
- Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Biofabrication, University of Bayreuth, Ludwig Thoma Str. 36A, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sahar Salehi
- Department of Biomaterials, Center of Energy Technology und Materials Science, University of Bayreuth, Prof.-Rüdiger-Bormann-Straße 1, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Leonid Ionov
- Faculty of Engineering Science, Department of Biofabrication, University of Bayreuth, Ludwig Thoma Str. 36A, 95447 Bayreuth, Germany.,Bavarian Polymer Institute, University of Bayreuth, Universitätsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany
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3
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Cao Z, Jiang H, Hou Z. Designing circle swimmers: Principles and strategies. J Chem Phys 2021; 155:234901. [PMID: 34937364 DOI: 10.1063/5.0065529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Various microswimmers move along circles rather than straight lines due to their swimming mechanisms, body shapes, or hydrodynamic effects. In this paper, we adopt the concepts of stochastic thermodynamics to analyze circle swimmers confined to a two-dimensional plane and study the trade-off relations between various physical quantities, such as precision, energy cost, and rotational speed. Based on these findings, we predict principles and strategies for designing microswimmers of special optimized functions under limited energy resource conditions, which will bring new experimental inspiration for designing smart motors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyu Cao
- Department of Chemical Physics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscales, iChEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Huijun Jiang
- Department of Chemical Physics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscales, iChEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zhonghuai Hou
- Department of Chemical Physics and Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscales, iChEM, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
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4
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Optimal motion control of three-sphere based low-Reynolds number swimming microrobot. ROBOTICA 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s0263574721000953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractMicrorobots with their promising applications are attracting a lot of attention currently. A microrobot with a triangular mechanism was previously proposed by scientists to overcome the motion limitations in a low-Reynolds number flow; however, the control of this swimmer for performing desired manoeuvres has not been studied yet. Here, we have proposed some strategies for controlling its position. Considering the constraints on arm lengths, we proposed an optimal controller based on quadratic programming. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed optimal controller can steer the microrobot along the desired trajectory as well as minimize fluctuations of the actuators length.
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5
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Choi J, Hwang J, Kim J, Choi H. Recent Progress in Magnetically Actuated Microrobots for Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Agents. Adv Healthc Mater 2021; 10:e2001596. [PMID: 33331143 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202001596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Therapeutic agents, such as drugs and cells, play an essential role in virtually every treatment of injury, illness, or disease. However, the conventional practices of drug delivery often result in undesirable side effects caused by drug overdose and off-target delivery. In the case of cell delivery, the survival rate of the transplanted cells is extremely low and difficulties with the administration route of cells remain a problem. Recently, magnetically actuated microrobots have started offering unique opportunities in targeted therapeutic delivery due to their tiny size and ability to access hard-to-reach lesions in a minimally invasive manner; considerable advances in this regard have been made over the past decade. Here, recent progress in magnetically actuated microrobots, developed for targeted drug/cell delivery, is presented, with a focus on their design features and mechanisms for controlled therapeutic release. Additionally, the practical challenges faced by the microrobots, and future research directions toward the swift bench-to-bedside translation of the microrobots are addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhee Choi
- Department of Robotics Engineering Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
- DGIST‐ETH Microrobotics Research Center Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Junsun Hwang
- Department of Robotics Engineering Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
- DGIST‐ETH Microrobotics Research Center Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Jin‐young Kim
- Department of Robotics Engineering Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
- DGIST‐ETH Microrobotics Research Center Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
| | - Hongsoo Choi
- Department of Robotics Engineering Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
- DGIST‐ETH Microrobotics Research Center Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) Daegu 42988 Republic of Korea
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6
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Singh AV, Ansari MHD, Mahajan M, Srivastava S, Kashyap S, Dwivedi P, Pandit V, Katha U. Sperm Cell Driven Microrobots-Emerging Opportunities and Challenges for Biologically Inspired Robotic Design. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:E448. [PMID: 32340402 PMCID: PMC7231336 DOI: 10.3390/mi11040448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
With the advent of small-scale robotics, several exciting new applications like Targeted Drug Delivery, single cell manipulation and so forth, are being discussed. However, some challenges remain to be overcome before any such technology becomes medically usable; among which propulsion and biocompatibility are the main challenges. Propulsion at micro-scale where the Reynolds number is very low is difficult. To overcome this, nature has developed flagella which have evolved over millions of years to work as a micromotor. Among the microscopic cells that exhibit this mode of propulsion, sperm cells are considered to be fast paced. Here, we give a brief review of the state-of-the-art of Spermbots - a new class of microrobots created by coupling sperm cells to mechanical loads. Spermbots utilize the flagellar movement of the sperm cells for propulsion and as such do not require any toxic fuel in their environment. They are also naturally biocompatible and show considerable speed of motion thereby giving us an option to overcome the two challenges of propulsion and biocompatibility. The coupling mechanisms of physical load to the sperm cells are discussed along with the advantages and challenges associated with the spermbot. A few most promising applications of spermbots are also discussed in detail. A brief discussion of the future outlook of this extremely promising category of microrobots is given at the end.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajay Vikram Singh
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- Department of Chemical and Product Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), Max-Dohrn-Strasse 8-10, 10589 Berlin, Germany
| | - Mohammad Hasan Dad Ansari
- The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Via Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy;
- Department of Excellence in Robotics & AI, Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna, Via Rinaldo Piaggio 34, 56025 Pontedera, Italy
| | - Mihir Mahajan
- Königin-Olga-Stift Gymnasium, Johannesstraße 18, 70176 Stuttgart, Germany;
| | - Shubhangi Srivastava
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India;
| | - Shubham Kashyap
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Technical University, Lucknow 226031, India;
| | - Prajjwal Dwivedi
- Department of Physics, Shri Ramswaroop Memorial University, Lucknow 226007, India;
| | - Vaibhav Pandit
- Dynex Technologies, 14340 Sullyfield Circle, Chantilly, VA 20151-1621 USA;
| | - Uma Katha
- BioPharma Division, GALAB Laboratories GmbH, 21029 Hamburg, Germany;
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7
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Fahrunnida, Sayekti PR, Nuhamunada M, Suyono EA, Alam P. Self-assembly of cellular micro-bio machine parts. JOURNAL OF MICRO-BIO ROBOTICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s12213-020-00125-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThis paper focusses on intra- and inter-species connections between diatoms; hard bioglass microalgae that adhere through the secretion of sticky extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). We identify entirely new diatom attachment mechanisms, and the associated structures that develop from them. Further, we consider these findings in light of potential strategies for the self-assembled manufacture of micro-bio machine parts, and discuss their possible first-order end uses.
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8
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Sun L, Yu Y, Chen Z, Bian F, Ye F, Sun L, Zhao Y. Biohybrid robotics with living cell actuation. Chem Soc Rev 2020; 49:4043-4069. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cs00120a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
This review comprehensively discusses recent advances in the basic components, controlling methods and especially in the applications of biohybrid robots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyu Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology
- The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
- 210008 Nanjing
- China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology
| | - Yunru Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- 210096 Nanjing
- China
| | - Zhuoyue Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- 210096 Nanjing
- China
| | - Feika Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics
- School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering
- Southeast University
- 210096 Nanjing
- China
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Wenzhou Institute
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Wenzhou
- China
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics
| | - Lingyun Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology
- The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
- 210008 Nanjing
- China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology
- The Affiliated Drum Tower Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School
- 210008 Nanjing
- China
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology
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9
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Khalil ISM, Klingner A, Magdanz V, Striggow F, Medina‐Sánchez M, Schmidt OG, Misra S. Modeling of Spermbots in a Viscous Colloidal Suspension. ADVANCED THEORY AND SIMULATIONS 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/adts.201900072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Islam S. M. Khalil
- Department of Biomechanical EngineeringUniversity of Twente 7522 NB Enschede The Netherlands
| | - Anke Klingner
- The German University in Cairo 11835 New Cairo Egypt
| | - Veronika Magdanz
- Institute for Integrative NanosciencesLeibniz IFW 01069 Dresden Germany
- Applied ZoologyTechnical University of Dresden 01062 Dresden Germany
| | | | | | - Oliver G. Schmidt
- Institute for Integrative NanosciencesLeibniz IFW 01069 Dresden Germany
- Center for MaterialsArchitectures and Integration of Nanomembranes, TU Chemnitz 09107 Chemnitz Germany
| | - Sarthak Misra
- Department of Biomechanical EngineeringUniversity of Twente 7522 NB Enschede The Netherlands
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Groningen and University Medical Center Groningen 9713 AV Groningen The Netherlands
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10
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Liu Y, Xu Z, Hwang KC, Huang Y, Zhang Y. Postbuckling analyses of frame mesostructures consisting of straight ribbons for mechanically guided three-dimensional assembly. Proc Math Phys Eng Sci 2019; 475:20190012. [PMID: 31236053 DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2019.0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanically guided assembly through buckling-induced two-dimensional (2D)-to- three-dimensional (3D) transformation represents a versatile approach to the formation of 3D mesostructures, thanks to the demonstrated applicability to a wide range of length scales (from tens of nanometres to centimetres) and material types (from semiconductors, metals to polymers and ceramics). In many demonstrated examples of device applications, the 2D precursor structures are composed of ribbon-type components, and some of them exhibit frame geometries consisting of multiple straight ribbons. The coupling of bending/twisting deformations among various ribbon components of the frame mesostructures makes the analyses more complicated than the case with a single component, which requires the development of a relevant theory to serve as the basis of design optimization in practical applications. Here, an analytic model of compressive buckling in such frame mesostructures is presented in the framework of energetic approach, taking into account the contributions of spatial bending deformations and twisting deformations. Three different frame geometries are studied, including '+', 'T' and 'H' shaped designs. As validated by the experiments and finite-element analyses (FEA), the developed model can predict accurately the assembled 3D configurations during the postbuckling of different precursor shapes. Furthermore, the theoretical analyses provide approximate analytic solutions to some key physical quantities (e.g. the maximum out-of-plane displacements and maximum strains), which can be used as design references in practical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Liu
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Center for Flexible Electronics Technology and Center for Mechanics and Materials, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Xu
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,State Key Laboratory for Manufacturing and Systems Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, People's Republic of China
| | - Keh-Chi Hwang
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Center for Flexible Electronics Technology and Center for Mechanics and Materials, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonggang Huang
- Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, Center for Engineering and Health, and Skin Disease Research Center, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Yihui Zhang
- Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China.,Center for Flexible Electronics Technology and Center for Mechanics and Materials, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, People's Republic of China
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11
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Nili H, Kheyri M, Abazari J, Fahimniya A, Naji A. Population splitting of rodlike swimmers in Couette flow. SOFT MATTER 2017; 13:4494-4506. [PMID: 28584884 DOI: 10.1039/c7sm00293a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We present a quantitative analysis on the response of a dilute active suspension of self-propelled rods (swimmers) in a planar channel subjected to an imposed shear flow. To best capture the salient features of the shear-induced effects, we consider the case of an imposed Couette flow, providing a constant shear rate across the channel. We argue that the steady-state behavior of swimmers can be understood in the light of a population splitting phenomenon, occurring as the shear rate exceeds a certain threshold, initiating the reversal of the swimming direction for a finite fraction of swimmers from down- to upstream or vice versa, depending on the swimmer position within the channel. Swimmers thus split into two distinct, statistically significant and oppositely swimming majority and minority populations. The onset of population splitting translates into a transition from a self-propulsion-dominated regime to a shear-dominated regime, corresponding to a unimodal-to-bimodal change in the probability distribution function of the swimmer orientation. We present a phase diagram in terms of the swim and flow Péclet numbers showing the separation of these two regimes by a discontinuous transition line. Our results shed further light on the behavior of swimmers in a shear flow and provide an explanation for the previously reported non-monotonic behavior of the mean, near-wall, parallel-to-flow orientation of swimmers with increasing shear strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Nili
- School of Physics, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), P.O. Box 19395-5531, Tehran, Iran.
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12
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Magdanz V, Medina-Sánchez M, Schwarz L, Xu H, Elgeti J, Schmidt OG. Spermatozoa as Functional Components of Robotic Microswimmers. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2017; 29:1606301. [PMID: 28323360 DOI: 10.1002/adma.201606301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, the combination of synthetic micro- and nanomaterials with spermatozoa as functional components has led to the development of tubular and helical spermbots - microrobotic devices with potential applications in the biomedical and nanotechnological field. Here, the initial advances in this field are discussed and the use of spermatozoa as functional parts in microdevices elaborated. Besides the potential uses of these hybrid robotic microswimmers, the obstacles along the way are discussed, with suggestions for solutions of the encountered challenges also given.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Magdanz
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW Dresden e.V., Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Mariana Medina-Sánchez
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW Dresden e.V., Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lukas Schwarz
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW Dresden e.V., Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Haifeng Xu
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW Dresden e.V., Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jens Elgeti
- Theoretical Soft Matter and Biophysics, Institute of Complex Systems (ICS-2), 52425, Jülich, Germany
| | - Oliver G Schmidt
- Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research, IFW Dresden e.V., Institute for Integrative Nanosciences, Helmholtzstrasse 20, 01069, Dresden, Germany
- Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer Str. 70, 09107, Chemnitz, Germany
- Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Würzburger Str. 46, 01187, Dresden, Germany
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13
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Ceylan H, Giltinan J, Kozielski K, Sitti M. Mobile microrobots for bioengineering applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:1705-1724. [PMID: 28480466 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00064b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 150] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Untethered micron-scale mobile robots can navigate and non-invasively perform specific tasks inside unprecedented and hard-to-reach inner human body sites and inside enclosed organ-on-a-chip microfluidic devices with live cells. They are aimed to operate robustly and safely in complex physiological environments where they will have a transforming impact in bioengineering and healthcare. Research along this line has already demonstrated significant progress, increasing attention, and high promise over the past several years. The first-generation microrobots, which could deliver therapeutics and other cargo to targeted specific body sites, have just been started to be tested inside small animals toward clinical use. Here, we review frontline advances in design, fabrication, and testing of untethered mobile microrobots for bioengineering applications. We convey the most impactful and recent strategies in actuation, mobility, sensing, and other functional capabilities of mobile microrobots, and discuss their potential advantages and drawbacks to operate inside complex, enclosed and physiologically relevant environments. We lastly draw an outlook to provide directions in the veins of more sophisticated designs and applications, considering biodegradability, immunogenicity, mobility, sensing, and possible medical interventions in complex microenvironments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hakan Ceylan
- Physical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
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14
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Stanton MM, Park BW, Miguel-López A, Ma X, Sitti M, Sánchez S. Biohybrid Microtube Swimmers Driven by Single Captured Bacteria. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2017; 13:1603679. [PMID: 28299891 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201603679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Bacteria biohybrids employ the motility and power of swimming bacteria to carry and maneuver microscale particles. They have the potential to perform microdrug and cargo delivery in vivo, but have been limited by poor design, reduced swimming capabilities, and impeded functionality. To address these challenge, motile Escherichia coli are captured inside electropolymerized microtubes, exhibiting the first report of a bacteria microswimmer that does not utilize a spherical particle chassis. Single bacterium becomes partially trapped within the tube and becomes a bioengine to push the microtube though biological media. Microtubes are modified with "smart" material properties for motion control, including a bacteria-attractant polydopamine inner layer, addition of magnetic components for external guidance, and a biochemical kill trigger to cease bacterium swimming on demand. Swimming dynamics of the bacteria biohybrid are quantified by comparing "length of protrusion" of bacteria from the microtubes with respect to changes in angular autocorrelation and swimmer mean squared displacement. The multifunctional microtubular swimmers present a new generation of biocompatible micromotors toward future microbiorobots and minimally invasive medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan M Stanton
- Lab-in-a-Tube and Nanorobotic Biosensors, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Byung-Wook Park
- Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, 70569, Germany
| | - Albert Miguel-López
- Smart Nano-Bio-Devices, Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Xing Ma
- Lab-in-a-Tube and Nanorobotic Biosensors, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen Graduate School, 518055, Shenzhen, China
| | - Metin Sitti
- Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, 70569, Germany
| | - Samuel Sánchez
- Lab-in-a-Tube and Nanorobotic Biosensors, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstraße 3, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
- Smart Nano-Bio-Devices, Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), 08028, Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i EstudisAvancats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010, Barcelona, Spain
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15
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Abstract
![]()
Self-propelled
colloids have emerged as a new class of active matter
over the past decade. These are micrometer sized colloidal objects
that transduce free energy from their surroundings and convert it
to directed motion. The self-propelled colloids are in many ways,
the synthetic analogues of biological self-propelled units such as
algae or bacteria. Although they are propelled by very different mechanisms,
biological swimmers are typically powered by flagellar motion and
synthetic swimmers are driven by local chemical reactions, they share
a number of common features with respect to swimming behavior. They
exhibit run-and-tumble like behavior, are responsive to environmental
stimuli, and can even chemically interact with nearby swimmers. An
understanding of self-propelled colloids could help us in understanding
the complex behaviors that emerge in populations of natural microswimmers.
Self-propelled colloids also offer some advantages over natural microswimmers,
since the surface properties, propulsion mechanisms, and particle
geometry can all be easily modified to meet specific needs. From a more practical perspective, a number of applications, ranging
from environmental remediation to targeted drug delivery, have been
envisioned for these systems. These applications rely on the basic
functionalities of self-propelled colloids: directional motion, sensing
of the local environment, and the ability to respond to external signals.
Owing to the vastly different nature of each of these applications,
it becomes necessary to optimize the design choices in these colloids.
There has been a significant effort to develop a range of synthetic
self-propelled colloids to meet the specific conditions required for
different processes. Tubular self-propelled colloids, for example,
are ideal for decontamination processes, owing to their bubble propulsion
mechanism, which enhances mixing in systems, but are incompatible
with biological systems due to the toxic propulsion fuel and the generation
of oxygen bubbles. Spherical swimmers serve as model systems to understand
the fundamental aspects of the propulsion mechanism, collective behavior,
response to external stimuli, etc. They are also typically the choice
of shape at the nanoscale due to their ease of fabrication. More recently
biohybrid swimmers have also been developed which attempt to retain
the advantages of synthetic colloids while deriving their propulsion
from biological swimmers such as sperm and bacteria, offering the
means for biocompatible swimming. In this Account, we will summarize
our effort and those of other groups, in the design and development
of self-propelled colloids of different structural properties and
powered by different propulsion mechanisms. We will also briefly address
the applications that have been proposed and, to some extent, demonstrated
for these swimmer designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaideep Katuri
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Baldiri i Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstr. 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Xing Ma
- Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstr. 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- School
of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen Graduate School, 518055 Shenzhen, China
| | - Morgan M. Stanton
- Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstr. 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Samuel Sánchez
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Baldiri i Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Heisenbergstr. 3, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA), Pg. Lluís Companys 23, 08010 Barcelona, Spain
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Martel S. Swimming microorganisms acting as nanorobots versus artificial nanorobotic agents: A perspective view from an historical retrospective on the future of medical nanorobotics in the largest known three-dimensional biomicrofluidic networks. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2016; 10:021301. [PMID: 27158285 PMCID: PMC4841799 DOI: 10.1063/1.4945734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The vascular system in each human can be described as a 3D biomicrofluidic network providing a pathway close to approximately 100 000 km in length. Such network can be exploited to target any parts inside the human body with further accessibility through physiological spaces such as the interstitial microenvironments. This fact has triggered research initiatives towards the development of new medical tools in the form of microscopic robotic agents designed for surgical, therapeutic, imaging, or diagnostic applications. To push the technology further towards medical applications, nanotechnology including nanomedicine has been integrated with principles of robotics. This new field of research is known as medical nanorobotics. It has been particularly creative in recent years to make what was and often still considered science-fiction to offer concrete implementations with the potential to enhance significantly many actual medical practices. In such a global effort, two main strategic trends have emerged where artificial and synthetic implementations presently compete with swimming microorganisms being harnessed to act as medical nanorobotic agents. Recognizing the potentials of each approach, efforts to combine both towards the implementation of hybrid nanorobotic agents where functionalities are implemented using both artificial/synthetic and microorganism-based entities have also been initiated. Here, through the main eras of progressive developments in this field, the evolutionary path being described from some of the main historical achievements to recent technological innovations is extrapolated in an attempt to provide a perspective view on the future of medical nanorobotics capable of targeting any parts of the human body accessible through the vascular network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Martel
- NanoRobotics Laboratory, Department of Computer and Software Engineering, Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Polytechnique Montréal , Montréal, Québec H3T 1J4, Canada
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Sliker L, Ciuti G, Rentschler M, Menciassi A. Magnetically driven medical devices: a review. Expert Rev Med Devices 2015; 12:737-52. [PMID: 26295303 DOI: 10.1586/17434440.2015.1080120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
A widely accepted definition of a medical device is an instrument or apparatus that is used to diagnose, prevent or treat disease. Medical devices take a broad range of forms and utilize various methods to operate, such as physical, mechanical or thermal. Of particular interest in this paper are the medical devices that utilize magnetic field sources to operate. The exploitation of magnetic fields to operate or drive medical devices has become increasingly popular due to interesting characteristics of magnetic fields that are not offered by other phenomena, such as mechanical contact, hydrodynamics and thermodynamics. Today, there is a wide range of magnetically driven medical devices purposed for different anatomical regions of the body. A review of these devices is presented and organized into two groups: permanent magnetically driven devices and electromagnetically driven devices. Within each category, the discussion will be further segregated into anatomical regions (e.g., gastrointestinal, ocular, abdominal, thoracic, etc.).
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Affiliation(s)
- Levin Sliker
- a 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309-0427, USA
| | - Gastone Ciuti
- b 2 The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna , 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
| | - Mark Rentschler
- a 1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado , Boulder, Colorado 80309-0427, USA
| | - Arianna Menciassi
- b 2 The BioRobotics Institute, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna , 56025 Pontedera, Pisa, Italy
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Motility Control of Bacteria-Actuated Biodegradable Polymeric Microstructures by Selective Adhesion Methods. MICROMACHINES 2014. [DOI: 10.3390/mi5041287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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