News Release
Groundbreaking vine robots with magnetic skin could transform cancer treatment
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An illustration of the magnetic vine robot. An inner plastic layer (yellow) is coated in a magnetic skin. The magnetic skin allows steering via external magnetic fields. |
August 5, 2024-- A new class of robot with magnetic skin and movement that mimics creeping vine plants, could transform cancer diagnosis and treatment.
The soft, slender, “magnetic vine robots” developed by researchers at the University of Leeds in collaboration with engineers at the University of California San Diego not only “grow” as they move, they can also squeeze through gaps almost 40 per cent thinner than their resting diameter. This enables them to navigate narrow, complex pathways deep inside the human body, such as the bronchial tree.
By magnetizing their ‘skin’ and controlling them using external magnets, researchers say the little plastic robots are so maneuverable they can even navigate an ‘S’ bend, meaning they could potentially be used to treat tumors in the deepest, most difficult-to-reach parts of the lungs.
Engineers, scientists and clinicians based at the University’s STORM Lab, Future Manufacturing Processes Research Group and the Morimoto Lab at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, hope the technology will pave the way for a revolution in the field, leading to advanced less invasive surgical tools that can be precisely steered through intricate and sensitive areas of the human body.
“There are a number of current procedures that could greatly benefit from this technology in the future. For example, current technologies to look inside a patient’s lungs or take samples – a bronchoscopy – cannot easily reach most of the airways because it is so difficult to navigate the instrument by pushing it into the patient’s body.
“The difficulty of the procedure limits capacity in the healthcare system, resulting in long waiting lists and likely progression of the disease.” said Professor Pietro Valdastri, Director of the STORM Lab at University of Leeds.
Significant advancement
Vine robots use pneumatic pressure on the inside to grow, and magnetics to steer. While many organizations are looking at using vine robots for clinical applications, the Leeds and UC San Diego team believe they are the first to combine them with magnetics.
“These robots have the potential to improve the safety and efficacy of medical procedures – from diagnoses to biopsies and treatment - reducing recovery times and minimizing surgical risks,” Valdastri said.
The results of their investigations, which were funded by the European Research Council, are published in IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
Inspired by plants
Vine robots are inspired by the plant kingdom: they grow and move around obstacles like a vine that grows around trees and rocks.
They use pneumatic pressure, meaning when the air inside is compressed, the volume decreases while its pressure increases. Their inverted internal structure can be compared to a sock that has been partially turned inside out. By pulling a tether attached to the tip of the inside-out section, the robot becomes smaller.
When the tether is released and pressure is applied on the inside, it becomes longer by folding outwards.
This growing capability means it can gently make its way through collapsed tubes without resistance, opening up pathways for cameras or other tools – something other devices are unable to do.
Magnetic skin
The robot becomes magnetized by coating it in silicon embedded with millions of magnetic micro-particles, so tiny you could fit roughly 20 of them across a human hair.
If the steering relied on hard internal components, such as a magnet at its tip, it would lose its ability to shrink down and squeeze through tiny gaps, as well as potentially leading to tissue trauma. By magnetizing the skin, the robots remain entirely soft and flexible, meaning less discomfort for patients and the potential to create miniaturized versions in future.
The devices are directed by external magnets which apply forces to the magnetic particles, causing the robot to change shape or direction – enabling it to maneuver through the tiny tubes of the lungs to the site of a suspicious lesion.
Once at the target location, the robot could be used to take a tissue sample or deliver treatment, which could ultimately lead to better treatment outcomes, the research suggests.
The proof-of-concept was based on laboratory tests involving a 3D replica of a bronchial tree modeled from anatomical data. Morimoto Lab at UC San Diego pioneered the design of vine robots for medical applications.
Pre-clinical trials are expected to finish by the end of this year and the team hopes to be awarded funding for the next phase of the research, which will investigate the effectiveness of the device in human trials.
The paper, Vine Robots with Magnetic Skin for Surgical Navigations, is published in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters.
Funding: This research was funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the European Research Council (ERC).
Media Contacts
Ioana Patringenaru
Jacobs School of Engineering
858-822-0899
ipatrin@ucsd.edu