A Californian start-up is developing tiny robots that can be injected into the skull and carefully guided to their destination using magnets.
The micro-robots could provide an alternative to brain surgery, specifically to treat a rare condition called Dandy-Walker Syndrome.
The congenital brain malformation affects children and causes cysts that can swell, putting pressure on the brain.
The robots could pierce the cysts and release the fluid before it can trigger any one of a range of dangerous neurological conditions.
Another use for the robots might include injecting anti-cancer drugs into brain tumours known as malignant gliomas, often considered inoperable.
The tiny devices, which take the form of bullet-shaped metal cylinders a few millimetres long, are being developed by start-up Bionaut Labs.
Co-founder and CEO Michael Shpigelmacher compared the project to the Isaac Asimov sci-fi novel and later film ‘Fantastic Voyage’, which features a team of scientists injected into a human body in a miniaturised craft to treat a blood clot.
He added that what was science fiction in the 1950s and 60s was now “science fact”.
Bionaut Labs worked with the prestigious Max Planck research institute of Germany to design its system.
Magnetic coils guide the tiny robots through the brain
They decided on using magnetism to guide the robots rather than optical or ultrasonic methods as it does not harm the human body.
Magnetic energy provided by coils placed outside the patient’s skull propels the robots.
These are linked to a computer that can delicately navigate the devices to affected parts of the brain.
In a trial, the robot followed a pre-programmed path through a container filled with gel the same density as the human brain.
It successfully reached a pouch filled with blue liquid, accelerated to pierce the pouch with its pointed end, and allowed the contents to flow out.
Shpigelmacher said data showed that the technology should be safe for humans following system tests on animals, such as sheep and pigs.
Clinical trials on humans should begin in the next two years. If successful, Bionaut Labs believes the technology could offer significant advantages.
Shpigelmacher said that most current brain interventions required a straight path to the affected area, while the micro-robots could get to previously unreachable targets using the safest trajectory possible.
Today’s news was brought to you by TD SYNNEX – the UK’s number one solutions distributor.
