Project description
Medical microrobots turn into implants
Small-scale medical robotics aim to deliver precise treatments inside the human body, inspired by science fiction. However, current microrobots can only deliver drugs or cells and rely on external signals to stay in shape. These robots struggle to perform complex tasks like fitting into target areas or staying stable over time. Their lack of autonomy limits their use in critical medical procedures. In this context, the ERC-funded I-BOT project aims to solve these challenges by developing implantable microrobots with advanced materials. These robots use magnetic guidance and shape-memory materials to move and adjust inside the body. I-BOT will test these microrobots in real medical scenarios to prove their effectiveness and potential for future use in treating patients.
Objective
Small-scale medical robotics was born from a science fiction vision: shrinking down a group of surgeons and letting them swim to the brain to save a patients life. This vision calls for precision, efficiency in delivering force and noninvasiveness. Conversely, the microrobots proposed so far are only able to perform drug or cell delivery. Furthermore, their capability to keep an active configuration is strictly dependent on the presence of a certain external stimulus. In this ERC project I aim to tackle these challenges by devising new actuation mechanisms, control and imaging strategies allowing the microrobots to exert suitable forces and prolonging their lifetime. I-BOT proposes the first generation of implantable microrobots featured by a multi-material structure including a liquid perfluorocarbon core and a shape memory polymers magnetic composite skin. By exploiting magnetic material programming, microrobots will be capable of multimodal locomotion under magnetic guidance. Upon target reaching, low intensity pulsed ultrasound and alternated magnetic fields will trigger acoustic droplet vaporization and magnetic hyperthermia. This will produce simultaneous volumetric expansion of the internal chamber and deformation of the surrounding skin to allow fitting the implant site. Shape memory polymers will ensure shape locking upon removal of the triggering signals thus stable implant. Ultrasound acoustic phase analysis will allow microrobot tracking over the entire implant procedure and prolonged lesion monitoring upon implantation.
The I-BOT approach will be validated in three relevant validation scenarios (ulcer filling, vascular graft and long term tumoral lesion monitoring) to demonstrate the flexibility of the approach and to unveil the potentialities and the impact of implantable microrobots. As a final step, the most promising validation scenario will be tested in vivo in large animals, as a step forward in moving microrobots from the bench to the bedside.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- natural scienceschemical sciencespolymer sciences
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringrobotics
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologyimplants
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Programme(s)
- HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC GrantsHost institution
56127 Pisa
Italy