The nanobots look like tiny beads and they move in an S-shaped, corkscrew-like motion. The idea behind the devices is that they can help to clear blocked arteries in a way that surgery cannot. The aim is for the devices to dislodge arterial plaque, using a process called “stenting.” Plaque can cause blockage and this can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Furthermore, the robots also have the capability to deliver an anticoagulant medicine to help deal with the plaque fragments.
The major complexity with the project was with developing a robotic device that can “swim” through blood. Blood is a relatively viscous substance and it is not easy to create a device that can navigate through major arteries and retain power.
The way around this was to construct three iron oxide beads, connected together via chemical bonds and magnetic force. These forces create a strong and rigid structure. The robots are powered by an external magnetic field; by varying the field, the speed at which the devices move can be carefully controlled.
Another risk with such devices is that the body’s own immune system could attack them. For this reason no organic materials were used with the construction of the devices: they are completely inorganic.
The tiny robots have been developed by engineers based at Drexel University and they have been manufactured at the Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) in South Korea. $18 million has been invested in the project to date.
The research is still at the trial stage and further studies are required; nonetheless, the findings to date are promising.
The findings have been reported to the Journal of Nanoparticle Research. The research paper is titled “Self-assembly of robotic micro- and nanoswimmers using magnetic nanoparticles.”
