Swarms of tiny ROBOTS could be injected into our bodies to treat bleeding in the brain, scientists say – a breakthrough that could ‘open new frontiers in medicine’
- Nano robots have been developed that can be remotely controlled as a swarm
- They could enable precise, low-risk treatment of brain aneurysms
Tiny magnetic robot armies could treat brain haemorrhages and ‘open new frontiers in medicine’, expert research suggests.
Researchers have created nanoscopic robots – each about one-twentieth the size of a red blood cell – that can be remotely controlled as a swarm.
It is hoped that they will enable precise, low-risk treatment of brain aneurysms, which cause about half a million deaths worldwide each year.
The condition – a blood-filled bulge on an artery in the brain that can rupture and cause fatal bleeding – can also lead to stroke and disability.
The team, co-led by the University of Edinburgh’s School of Engineering, carried out laboratory tests using models of aneurysms and rabbits.
Expert research has found that tiny magnetic robot armies (pictured) could treat brain haemorrhages and ‘open new frontiers in medicine’
They developed magnetic nanobots consisting of blood-clotting drugs, surrounded by a coating that melts at a certain temperature.
Hundreds of billions of robots were injected into an artery and then guided to the site of the aneurysm using magnets and remote medical imaging.
Once the samples were in place, the researchers used magnets to bring them together and heat them to the coating’s melting point, releasing the drug precisely where it could prevent or stop bleeding in the brain.
According to the team, the study, published in the journal Small, points to a future in which small robots can be remotely controlled to perform complex tasks inside the human body in a minimally invasive way.
This may include targeted administration of medicines and even organ repair.
Dr Qi Zhou, co-leader of the study, said: ‘Nanorobots will push the boundaries of medicine. They will allow us to perform surgical procedures with less risk than conventional treatments and to deliver medicines very precisely to hard-to-reach areas of the body.
“Our research is an important step in bringing these technologies closer to treating critical medical conditions in a clinical setting.”
The researchers say the study shows that nanobots can deliver drugs to precise locations without entering the bloodstream, a key test of the technology’s safety and efficacy, they say.
They also said the nanobots could reduce the need for implants, such as coils or stents, in the treatment of brain aneurysms.
This in turn would reduce the chance of implants being rejected by the body and would also reduce dependence on anticoagulant drugs, which can cause bleeding and stomach problems.
It is hoped that they will enable precise, low-risk treatment of brain aneurysms (artist’s impression), which cause about half a million deaths worldwide each year.
They added that it can also take hours of laborious surgery to get an implant into the aneurysm, because the implant must be guided through a complex network of small blood vessels in the brain.
The team also included researchers from the Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital.
This group has also developed nanorobots to remove blood clots. According to them, these robots are also interesting for the treatment of strokes.