Cellular-level surgery using nano robots

Advanced tools and methods for single-cell surgery

Highly precise micromanipulation tools that can manipulate and interrogate cell organelles and components must be developed to support the rapid development of new cell-based medical therapies, thereby facilitating in-depth understanding of cell dynamics, cell component functions, and disease mechanisms. This paper presents a literature review on micro/nanomanipulation tools and their control methods for single-cell surgery. Micromanipulation methods specifically based on laser, microneedle, and untethered micro/nanotools are presented in detail. The limitations of these techniques are also discussed. The biological significance and clinical applications of single-cell surgery are also addressed in this paper.

An artificial intelligence atomic force microscope enabled by machine learning

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning have promised to revolutionize the way we live and work, and one of the particularly promising areas for AI is image analysis. Nevertheless, many current AI applications focus on the post-processing of data, while in both materials sciences and medicine, it is often critical to respond to the data acquired on the fly. Here we demonstrate an artificial intelligence atomic force microscope (AI-AFM) that is capable of not only pattern recognition and feature identification in ferroelectric materials and electrochemical systems, but can also respond to classification via adaptive experimentation with additional probing at critical domain walls and grain boundaries, all in real time on the fly without human interference. Key to our success is a highly efficient machine learning strategy based on a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm capable of high fidelity pixel-by-pixel recognition instead of relying on the data from full mapping, making real time classification and control possible during scanning, with which complex electromechanical couplings at the nanoscale in different material systems can be resolved by AI. For AFM experiments that are often tedious, elusive, and heavily rely on human insight for execution and analysis, this is a major disruption in methodology, and we believe that such a strategy empowered by machine learning is applicable to a wide range of instrumentations and broader physical machineries.

New technologies in robotic surgery: the Korean experience

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The development of the robotic systems has made surgery an increasingly technology-driven field. Since the introduction of the first robotic platform in 2005, surgical practice in South Korea has also been caught up in the global robotic revolution. Consequently, a market focused on improving the robotic systems was created and Korea has emerged as one of its frontrunners. This article reviews the Korean experience in developing various robotic technologies and then Korea's most recent contributions to the development of new technologies in robotic surgery.

RECENT FINDINGS

The goal of new technologies in the field of robotic surgery has been to improve on the current platforms by eliminating their disadvantages. The pressing goal is to develop a platform that is less bulky, more ergonomic, and capable of providing force feedback to the surgeon. In Korea, the Lapabot and two new robotic systems for single-port laparoscopic surgery are the most recent advances that have been reported.

SUMMARY

Robotic surgery is rapidly evolving and Korea has stayed in the forefront of its development. These new advancements in technology will eventually produce better robotic platforms that will greatly improve the manner in which surgical care is delivered.

Investigating bioconjugation by atomic force microscopy

Nanotechnological applications increasingly exploit the selectivity and processivity of biological molecules. Integration of biomolecules such as proteins or DNA into nano-systems typically requires their conjugation to surfaces, for example of carbon-nanotubes or fluorescent quantum dots. The bioconjugated nanostructures exploit the unique strengths of both their biological and nanoparticle components and are used in diverse, future oriented research areas ranging from nanoelectronics to biosensing and nanomedicine. Atomic force microscopy imaging provides valuable, direct insight for the evaluation of different conjugation approaches at the level of the individual molecules. Recent technical advances have enabled high speed imaging by AFM supporting time resolutions sufficient to follow conformational changes of intricately assembled nanostructures in solution. In addition, integration of AFM with different spectroscopic and imaging approaches provides an enhanced level of information on the investigated sample. Furthermore, the AFM itself can serve as an active tool for the assembly of nanostructures based on bioconjugation. AFM is hence a major workhorse in nanotechnology; it is a powerful tool for the structural investigation of bioconjugation and bioconjugation-induced effects as well as the simultaneous active assembly and analysis of bioconjugation-based nanostructures.