Scientists at the Micro/Nanophysics Research Laboratory at Australia’s Monash University have developed tiny nano-bots capable of moving through the human blood stream. According to research team leader Prof. James Friend, “ Serious damage during minimally invasive surgery is, however, not always avoidable, and surgeons are often limited by the width of a catheter tube, for example, which in serious cases can fatally puncture narrow arteries. Remote-controlled miniature robots small enough to swim up arteries could save lives by reaching parts of the body, like a stroke-damaged cranial artery, that catheters have previously been unable to reach. Opportunities for micro-motors abound in fields as diverse as micro-medicine, electronics, and aeronautics.” Responses to the need for appropriate propulsion for these “bots” have included using electromagnetic, electrostatic, thermal, or osmotic forces. To learn more about this research and links to published research, go to the Monash University website.
Will EM, Electrostatic, Thermal, or Osmotic Forces Propel Tiny Robots?
