Micro robot developed by Hong Kong university team can kill 99% of dangerous bacteria in medical implants, team says

Chinese University of Hong Kong team says magnetically powered mini robot acts like brush to scour away biofilm build-up inside devices such as stents and catheters

Professor Tony Chan says device could prevent ‘serious infections’, improve treatment and boost recovery of patients

Reading Time:2 minutes

Chinese University of Hong Kong academics Zhang Li and Tony Chan showcase a new micro robot that can eliminate dangerous bacteria inside medical implants in patients. Photo: Elizabeth Cheung

Published: 5:20pm, 14 Sep 2023Updated: 6:46pm, 14 Sep 2023

Hong Kong researchers have developed a micro robot powered by magnets that can remove build-ups of dangerous bacteria inside medical devices and minimise the risk of infections linked to implants in patients.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong team behind the tiny machine, designed to cut the risk of infections by removing biofilm from inside medical devices such as catheters and stents, said on Thursday it could remove the substance, linked to more than 80 per cent of infections in humans, with fewer side-effects compared with other methods.

“Our device can help prevent serious infections and aid patients’ recovery and treatment,” Tony Chan Kai-fung, a research assistant professor at the university’s Chow Yuk Ho Technology Centre for Innovative Medicine, said.

Biofilm, made up of disease-causing bacteria and other microorganisms, is a slimy substance that can grow in medical implants inside patients.

A close-up view of a hi-tech micro robot designed to strip bacteria from inside medical devices such as stents and catheters developed by a team from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Photo: Elizabeth Cheung

It can also be found in other settings, such as dehumidifier water tanks.

Select Voice

Choose your listening speed

Get through articles 2x faster

1.25x

250 WPM

Slow

Average

Fast

00:0000:00

1.25x