Tiny robots are intended to deliver medication directly into the heart
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University have developed two millimeter-sized robots designed to work together to transport medication to hard-to-reach areas in the body. Initial laboratory tests show how the technology could help with heart infections in the future.
An infection of the inner lining of the heart, known as endocarditis, is difficult to treat. Affected patients often receive antibiotics for several weeks. The medication reaches the heart via the bloodstream, but may only reach the site of infection in low concentrations. In severe cases, doctors must perform surgery. A research team at Johns Hopkins University in the USA is therefore working on a more targeted treatment.
Two robots working together
To this end, the researchers have developed two magnetic millirobots. They are about as wide as a pencil tip and as long as a grain of rice. Each takes on a specific task.
The first robot has a small needle with barbs. It is designed to anchor itself directly to the infected heart tissue. It then serves as a docking station for the second robot. The latter transports the medication to the site of infection, connects magnetically to the station, and slowly releases its contents.
The system also allows for multiple doses of medication. While the first robot remains anchored in the tissue, a new medication module can take its place. The researchers aim to deliver active ingredients repeatedly to the same spot without having to set a new anchor each time.
Magnetic fields take control
The robots have neither batteries nor their own motors. Instead, an external coil system generates electromagnetic fields that control their movements. The principle is similar to the magnetic field technology of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner.
In laboratory tests, the research team also used AI-supported image processing. It tracks the position of the robots and supports their automatic navigation. In this way, the small devices can move along predetermined paths.
Initial tests show what the robots can do
For their experiments, the researchers used artificial heart models with pulsating fluid flow. This was intended to simulate the flow conditions in the heart. The robots were able to move even against the simulated blood flow.
Further tests took place on harvested pig heart tissue. The team investigated, among other things, how the robots can be anchored and detached from each other.
The research team published the results in the journal «Advanced Materials Technologies». Under the tested conditions, magnetic docking succeeded in all trials. When disconnecting, the researchers achieved a success rate of 93 percent.
They also examined the administration of medication. One module was able to release 22 microliters of liquid, i.e., 0.022 milliliters, over a period of three hours. Whether this amount is sufficient for effective treatment remains to be seen in further research.
The road to human application is still long
The researchers have high hopes for the technology. In the long term, it could significantly shorten the treatment of endocarditis and potentially avoid certain open-heart surgeries.
Bhattacharjee considers procedures lasting from ten minutes to an hour to be conceivable. So far, patients often require four to six weeks of antibiotics. However, these are future projections. The experiments to date have taken place exclusively on artificial models and harvested tissue. Whether the technology will also function reliably in a living, beating heart and be able to fight infections must be shown by further investigations.
Next, the team wants to develop more realistic heart models that also simulate the muscle movements of a real heartbeat. Later, the robots could potentially also transport medication to hard-to-reach tumors.
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