Much advances have been made in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) as well as drug availability for cancer treatment. Early diagnosis can clearly augment effective treatment and significantly improve patient care. However, early stage lesions are very small (from 10 μm to 10 mm) and often deep-seated within the patient’s body. It is therefore, extremely challenging to perform precise localized therapy without harming the neighboring healthy tissues. This is an important technological bottleneck, as the damage of healthy tissues often involves adverse systemic side effects. To overcome this challenge, researchers have recommended the use of bioactive diagnostic and therapeutic agents. However, these agents are traditionally injected into the circulatory system in an uncontrolled manner, and visualized using non-real-time imaging modalities (e.g. magnetic resonance (MR) or molecular imaging techniques). Recently, as part of my European Research Council (ERC) Starting and Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) VIDI grants, my team developed a range of robotically-steered needles and flexible probes, controlled using clinical imaging modalities (e.g. computed tomography, ultrasound (US), MR). These systems carry great promise for bringing microrobotic interventions closer to clinical practice. Specifically, these probes could serve as a tool to deliver micro-agents in the vicinity of a deep-seated target, where the agents would execute tasks under magnetic and acoustic guidance. Various types of micro-agents could be devised for that purpose, opening up a gamut of diagnosis and treatment options ranging from rapid on-site pathological tests and localized chemotherapy to targeted drug delivery via microcapsules. Thus, the ultimate vision and overall aim of MAESTRO is to tackle the still significant MIS challenges ahead and develop the next level integrated robotic probe steering system that will enable high-precision targeted delivery and steering of a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic micro-agents. Such an advance would signify a true breakthrough in current MIS technology, with great impact for clinical applications for and beyond cancer.
