Key points from article :
A glue-like magnetic spray can turn pills into mini robots and navigated through the body.
The sprayed objects can be made to roll, flip and crawl using a magnetic field.
M-spray is made from polyvinyl alcohol, gluten and iron particles.
"Spray coating can be removed using an oscillating magnetic field to break it down into powder" - Shen Yajing, Associate Professor.
The remaining powder can be absorbed or excreted by the body.
This could prove useful for delivering pills to a particular location.
Tested by successfully manoeuvring and disintegrating an M-spray-coated drug to a target area in rabbit’s stomach.
With biocompatible components and negligible side effects, it makes a good candidate for biomedical applications.
Research by City University of Hong Kong published in Science Robotics.
