In an earlier study at the University of Twente, Ligtenberg et al. designed an untethered magnetic robot (UMR) capable of navigating through blood vessels using an external rotating permanent magnet (RPM). They validated its navigation capabilities through testing on a porcine aorta model.
Building on this research, the next step is to enable UMRs to transition from blood vessels into soft tissue. By integrating drilling capabilities, these robots could access previously unreachable areas within the body. This can, for example, be used for precise radioactive dose delivery in tumours which are not supplied with blood.
This research includes at least the following work:
- The UMR design will be adapted to allow drilling in soft tissue.
- A model of the UMR behaviour in soft tissue will be developed and validated.
- The current control system will be improved and validated to allow drilling in soft tissue.
- The whole system will be tested in phantom models and possibly in an ex vivo experiment.
