Soft robot-enabled controlled release of oral drug formulations

High Performance Proprioceptive Fiber Actuators Based on Ag Nanoparticles-Incorporated Hybrid Twisted and Coiled System

Thermally driven fiber actuators are emerging as promising tools for a range of robotic applications, encompassing soft and wearable robots, muscle function restoration, assistive systems, and physical augmentation. Yet, to realize their full potential in practical applications, several challenges, such as a high operational temperature, incorporation of intrinsic self-sensing capabilities for closed-loop feedback control, and reliance on bulky, intricate actuation systems, must be addressed. Here, an Ag nanoparticles-based twisted and coiled fiber actuator that achieves a high contractile actuation of ≈36% is reported at a considerably low operational temperature of ≈83 °C based on a synergistic effect of constituent fiber elements with low glass transition temperatures. The fiber actuator can monitor its contractile actuation in real-time based on the piezoresistive properties inherent to its Ag-based conductive region, demonstrating its proprioceptive sensing capability. By exploiting this capability, the proprioceptive fiber actuator adeptly maintains its intended contractile behavior, even when faced with unplanned external disturbances. To demonstrate the capabilities of the fiber actuator, this study integrates it into a closed-loop feedback-controlled bionic arm as an artificial muscle, offering fresh perspectives on the future development of intelligent wearable devices and soft robotic systems.

2D Materials Beyond Post-AI Era: Smart Fibers, Soft Robotics, and Single Atom Catalysts

Recent consecutive discoveries of various 2D materials have triggered significant scientific and technological interests owing to their exceptional material properties, originally stemming from 2D confined geometry. Ever-expanding library of 2D materials can provide ideal solutions to critical challenges facing in current technological trend of the fourth industrial revolution. Moreover, chemical modification of 2D materials to customize their physical/chemical properties can satisfy the broad spectrum of different specific requirements across diverse application areas. This review focuses on three particular emerging application areas of 2D materials: smart fibers, soft robotics, and single atom catalysts (SACs), which hold immense potentials for academic and technological advancements in the post-artificial intelligence (AI) era. Smart fibers showcase unconventional functionalities including healthcare/environmental monitoring, energy storage/harvesting, and antipathogenic protection in the forms of wearable fibers and textiles. Soft robotics aligns with future trend to overcome longstanding limitations of hard-material based mechanics by introducing soft actuators and sensors. SACs are widely useful in energy storage/conversion and environmental management, principally contributing to low carbon footprint for sustainable post-AI era. Significance and unique values of 2D materials in these emerging applications are highlighted, where the research group has devoted research efforts for more than a decade.

Untethered shape-changing devices in the gastrointestinal tract

INTRODUCTION

Advances in microfabrication, automation, and computer engineering seek to revolutionize small-scale devices and machines. Emerging trends in medicine point to smart devices that emulate the motility, biosensing abilities, and intelligence of cells and pathogens that inhabit the human body. Two important characteristics of smart medical devices are the capability to be deployed in small conduits, which necessitates being untethered, and the capacity to perform mechanized functions, which requires autonomous shape-changing.

AREAS COVERED

We motivate the need for untethered shape-changing devices in the gastrointestinal tract for drug delivery, diagnosis, and targeted treatment. We survey existing structures and devices designed and utilized across length scales from the macro to the sub-millimeter. These devices range from triggerable pre-stressed thin film microgrippers and spring-loaded devices to shape-memory and differentially swelling structures.

EXPERT OPINION

Recent studies demonstrate that when fully enabled, tether-free and shape-changing devices, especially at sub-mm scales, could significantly advance the diagnosis and treatment of GI diseases ranging from cancer and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by improving treatment efficacy, reducing costs, and increasing medication compliance. We discuss the challenges and possibilities associated with ensuring safe, reliable, and autonomous operation of these smart devices.

Robotics and Aseptic Processing in View of Regulatory Requirements

Several nanomedicine based medicinal products recently reached the market thanks to the drive of the COVID-19 pandemic. These products are characterized by criticality in scalability and reproducibility of the batches, and the manufacturing processes are now being pushed towards continuous production to face these challenges. Although the pharmaceutical industry, because of its deep regulation, is characterized by slow adoption of new technologies, recently, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) took the lead in pushing for process improvements using technologies already established in other manufacturing sectors. Foremost among these technologies, robotics is a technological driver, and its implementation in the pharma field should cause a big change, probably within the next 5 years. This paper aims at describing the regulation changes mainly in aseptic manufacturing and the use of robotics in the pharmaceutical environment to fulfill GMP (good manufacturing practice). Special attention is therefore paid at first to the regulatory aspect, explaining the reasons behind the current changes, and then to the use of robotics that will characterize the future of manufacturing especially in aseptic environments, moving from a clear overview of robotics to the use of automated systems to design more efficient processes, with reduced risk of contamination. This review should clarify the regulation and technological scenario and provide pharmaceutical technologists with basic knowledge in robotics and automation, as well as engineers with regulatory knowledge to define a common background and language, and enable the cultural shift of the pharmaceutical industry.