Chinese scientists create tiny robot that could help treat brain aneurysms and tumours
- Embolisation is one of the first treatments for these life-threatening conditions that kill more than 750,000 people a year
- Team says magnetic ‘microfibrebot’ can block blood supply and its coiled shape allows for more control than other methods
The soft “microfibrebot” does this by cutting off the flow of blood to the aneurysm or tumour.
Its coiled shape allows for more control and accuracy than other minimally invasive methods used to treat these conditions, and the researchers say tests done on blood vessel models and rabbits have shown promise for clinical use.
Brain aneurysms and tumours are life-threatening conditions that kill more than 750,000 people a year.
Embolisation to stop the blood flow is one of the first treatments. This minimally invasive procedure is typically done by inserting a catheter into the femoral artery and moving it through the blood vessels until it reaches the target site, where embolic agents to seal off the vessel are delivered.
But this method “is often limited by the poor steerability of the catheter in complex neurovascular networks”, the researchers wrote in a paper published in the peer-reviewed journal Science Robotics on Wednesday.