These bots could be the future of surgical procedures. The Israel Institute of Technology research team have found an easier way to guide nanobots in the bloodstream. (via American Chemical Society)
In the tech world robots are not only getting smarter, they're also getting smaller. There are some bots so small they can be put into the human bloodstream to treat diseases. It sounds frightening, but one team has found an easier way for nanobots to swim through the body. Researchers at the Israel Institute of Technology (Technion) have created a “nanoswimmer” the width of silk fiber made of several links of polymer and magnetic nanowires. For testing, they placed the nanobot in a fluid thicker than blood and applied an oscillating magnetic field to get it moving. From there, the nanoswimmer moved in an S-formation at the speed of nearly one body length per second. The magnetic field also helps to direct the bots to specific targets. But in their current state, nonmobile medicine shuttles, like carbon nanotubes and nanoparticles, may have a hard time finding their target.
Nanobots made in this manner removes the need for a tiny motor to be inserted in the bots and thus leaves room for drugs that can target certain cells. For instance, the bots can be programmed to target cancer cells, which would be a big step forward in fighting cancer. Scientists believe the use of nanoswimmers may reduce the need for invasive surgery, speed up the recovery process, and lower the risk of complications during procedures. It also means the bots will be easier to build and tweak for different uses.
Technion aren't the first team of researchers to utilize nanobots for medical support. Scientists have long thought inserting nanobots into the human bloodstream to cure infected cells to be beneficial, but the issue came in how to guide them. There have been several techniques to do so, including coating nanoparticles in proteins and guiding them along magnetically, using stomach gas bubbles to power micro-motors, and microbot swimmers with a scallop inspired design. The stomach gas bubble method actually resulted in the first nanobot delivered medical payload, but the latest innovation from Technion ensures the bots can move through bodily fluids with ease. These nanoswimmers are still in the testing phase right now, but once all the kinks are worked out it could change the way we think about surgical procedures.
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