Researchers in the Netherlands have developed wireless magnetic microrobots that can remove blood clots from hard-to-reach arteries in sheep.
When a clot blocks a blood vessel, it cuts off oxygen to critical areas of the body. Worldwide, one in four deaths each year is linked to conditions caused by blood clots. In addition, some clots can form in inoperable locations, leading to severe long-term effects.
Scientists from EARA member Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, and the TechMed Centre at the University of Twente, designed 3D-printed magnetic robots, just one millimetre in size and shaped like tiny screws.
The microrobots - combined with clot-dissolving drugs - successfully removed a clot in a sheep’s iliac artery, which supplies blood to the legs, pelvis and reproductive organs, immediately restoring the blood flow.
Equipped with small magnets, the microrobots can be wirelessly guided through blood vessels to mechanically break up blood clots and restore circulation in otherwise inaccessible arteries.
"This tiny magnet, just one millimetre long and one millimetre in diameter, is positioned to rotate the 'screw' in both directions," explained study co-leader Islam Khalil. "This allows the robot to swim against the flow and then turn around to swim back."
Other possible uses for these microrobots could be the more precise delivery of drugs to specific areas of the body, unlocking new possibilities for advanced medical treatments.