Smart Microrobotic Swarms for Aneurysm Treatment
About the Smart Microrobotic Swarms for Aneurysm Treatment
Rationale
Aneurysms, characterized by the abnormal bulging of blood vessel walls, pose a significant health threat due to the risk of rupture and life-threatening internal bleeding. Each year, aortic aneurysms alone account for over 150,000 deaths worldwide, with few effective treatment options available. Current methods, such as open surgery and endovascular procedures, often result in high complication rates, inadequate filling, and long-term instability. There is an urgent need for safer, more effective, and minimally invasive treatments to reduce mortality and improve patient outcomes.
Our project addresses this critical need by developing a microrobotic platform that utilizes swarming magnetic microgels for targeted, image-guided endovascular embolization of aneurysms. This innovative approach integrates advanced magnetic control with self-healing hydrogels, enabling precise, on-demand embolization while minimizing complications and enhancing the treatment’s long-term stability. By combining advances in robotic technology, materials science, and medicine, our project aims to revolutionize aneurysm treatment, providing a safer and more reliable alternative to existing methods and meeting an urgent healthcare demand.
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Publication
- D. D. Jin, Q. L. Wang, K. F. Chan, N. Xia, H. J. Yang, Q. Q. Wang, S. C. H. Yu* and L. Zhang*, Swarming self-adhesive microgels enabled aneurysm on-demand embolization in physiological blood flow, Science Advances, Vol 9, Issue 19, adf9278, 2023.
- Q. L. Wang^, Q. Q. Wang^, Z. P. Ning, K. F. Chan, J. L. Jiang, Y. Q. Wang, L. Su, S. Jiang, B. Wang, B. Y. M. Ip*, H. Ko, T. W. H. Leung, P. W. Y. Chiu, S. C. H. Yu, L. Zhang*, Tracking and Navigation of a Microswarm Under Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging for Targeted Delivery, Science Robotics, Vol. 9, Issue 87, eadh1978, 2024.
- B. Hao^, X. Wang^, Y. Dong^*, M. M. Sun, C. Xin, H. J. Yang, Y. F. Cao, J. Q. Zhu, X. R. Liu, C. Zhang, L. Su, B. Li* and L. Zhang*, Focused Ultrasound Enables Selective Actuation and Newton-level Force Output of Untethered Soft Robots, Nature Communications, Vol. 15, 5197, 2024.
- L. D. Yang, J. L. Jiang, F. T. Ji, Y. M. Li, K. L. Yung, A. Ferreira, L. Zhang*, Machine Learning For Micro- And Nanorobots, Nature Machine Intelligence, Vol. 6, 605-618, 2024.