A Guide-Wired Helical Microrobot for Mechanical Thrombectomy: A Feasibility Study

Application of micro/nanorobot in medicine

The development of micro/nanorobots and their application in medical treatment holds the promise of revolutionizing disease diagnosis and treatment. In comparison to conventional diagnostic and treatment methods, micro/nanorobots exhibit immense potential due to their small size and the ability to penetrate deep tissues. However, the transition of this technology from the laboratory to clinical applications presents significant challenges. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the research progress in micro/nanorobotics, encompassing biosensors, diagnostics, targeted drug delivery, and minimally invasive surgery. It also addresses the key issues and challenges facing this technology. The fusion of micro/nanorobots with medical treatments is poised to have a profound impact on the future of medicine.

Construction of micro-nano robots: living cells and functionalized biological cell membranes

Micro-nano robots have emerged as a promising research field with vast potential applications in biomedicine. The motor is the key component of micro-nano robot research, and the design of the motor is crucial. Among the most commonly used motors are those derived from living cells such as bacteria with flagella, sperm, and algal cells. Additionally, scientists have developed numerous self-adaptive biomimetic motors with biological functions, primarily cell membrane functionalized micromotors. This novel type of motor exhibits remarkable performance in complex media. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the structure and performance of micro-nano robots that utilize living cells and functionalized biological cell membranes. We also discuss potential practical applications of these mirco-nano robots as well as potential challenges that may arise in future development.

Rapid manufacturing of micro-drilling devices using FFF-type 3D printing technology

Micro-drilling devices with different blade shapes were fabricated with a rapid and facile manufacturing process using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. The 3D-printed casting mold was utilized to customize the continuous shape of the blades without the need for expensive manufacturing tools. A computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed to estimate the pressure differences (fluidic resistance) around each rotating device in a flowing stream. Three types of blades (i.e., 45°, 0°, and helical type) were manufactured and compared to a device without blades (i.e., plain type). As a result, the device with the 45° blades exhibited the best drilling performance. At a rotational speed of 1000 rpm, the average drilling depth of the device with the 45° blades to penetrate artificial thrombus for 90 s was 3.64 mm, which was ~ 2.4 times longer than that of helical blades (1.51 mm). This study demonstrates the feasibility of using 3D printing to fabricate microscale drilling devices with sharp blades for various applications, such as in vivo microsurgery and clogged water supply tube maintenance.