Self-sensing intelligent microrobots for noninvasive and wireless monitoring systems

Microrobots have garnered tremendous attention due to their small size, flexible movement, and potential for various in situ treatments. However, functional modification of microrobots has become crucial for their interaction with the environment, except for precise motion control. Here, a novel artificial intelligence (AI) microrobot is designed that can respond to changes in the external environment without an onboard energy supply and transmit signals wirelessly in real time. The AI microrobot can cooperate with external electromagnetic imaging equipment and enhance the local radiofrequency (RF) magnetic field to achieve a large penetration sensing depth and a high spatial resolution. The working ranges are determined by the structure of the sensor circuit, and the corresponding enhancement effect can be modulated by the conductivity and permittivity of the surrounding environment, reaching ~560 times at most. Under the control of an external magnetic field, the magnetic tail can actuate the microrobotic agent to move accurately, with great potential to realize in situ monitoring in different places in the human body, almost noninvasively, especially around potential diseases, which is of great significance for early disease discovery and accurate diagnosis. In addition, the compatible fabrication process can produce swarms of functional microrobots. The findings highlight the feasibility of the self-sensing AI microrobots for the development of in situ diagnosis or even treatment according to sensing signals.

Film-Shaped Self-Powered Electro-Osmotic Micropump Array

This paper reports a new concept of a film-shaped micropump array for biomedical perfusion. The detailed concept, design, fabrication process, and performance evaluation using prototypes are described. In this micropump array, an open circuit potential (OCP) is generated by a planar biofuel cell (BFC), which in turn generates electro-osmotic flows (EOFs) in multiple through-holes arranged perpendicular to the micropump plane. The micropump array is thin and wireless, so it can be cut like postage stamps, easily installed in any small location, and can act as a planar micropump in solutions containing the biofuels glucose and oxygen. Perfusion at local sites are difficult with conventional techniques using multiple separate components such as micropumps and energy sources. This micropump array is expected to be applied to the perfusion of biological fluids in small locations near or inside cultured cells, cultured tissues, living organisms, and so on.

A Review of Microrobot's System: Towards System Integration for Autonomous Actuation In Vivo

Microrobots have received great attention due to their great potential in the biomedical field, and there has been extraordinary progress on them in many respects, making it possible to use them in vivo clinically. However, the most important question is how to get microrobots to a given position accurately. Therefore, autonomous actuation technology based on medical imaging has become the solution receiving the most attention considering its low precision and efficiency of manual control. This paper investigates key components of microrobot’s autonomous actuation systems, including actuation systems, medical imaging systems, and control systems, hoping to help realize system integration of them. The hardware integration has two situations according to sharing the transmitting equipment or not, with the consideration of interference, efficiency, microrobot’s material and structure. Furthermore, system integration of hybrid actuation and multimodal imaging can improve the navigation effect of the microrobot. The software integration needs to consider the characteristics and deficiencies of the existing actuation algorithms, imaging algorithms, and the complex 3D working environment in vivo. Additionally, considering the moving distance in the human body, the autonomous actuation system combined with rapid delivery methods can deliver microrobots to specify position rapidly and precisely.