Scientists have created “millirobots” that make their way through blood vessels and destroy blood clots (photo, video)
The mini-robot corkscrews are capable of destroying blood clots in blood vessels, where they can be delivered by a simple injection. The technology has already been tested on the aorta and kidneys of a pig, where the robots were controlled by a magnet.
New Atlas tells about the invention.
Thanks to the corkscrew shape developed for the mini-robots by scientists at Twente University, they will be able to move through blood vessels, where they will reach blood clots and destroy them.
However, unlike current surgical methods of treating blood clots, the new robots can be controlled remotely. To do this, millimeter-sized magnets were placed inside them, which will guide the robots in the right direction with the help of a rotating magnetic field outside.
In the tests, the robots were placed in real blood vessels that connected the aorta and kidneys removed from pigs. A robotic arm with a magnet could also control the robots, directing them against the blood flow at a speed of 120 milliliters per minute.
Although blood flow may be faster in human vessels, according to the developers, a stronger magnetic field will allow robots to pass through them as well.
In addition, although so far the robots have been tested only to fight blood clots, they can also be used to deliver drugs to the right organs.
