Key points from article :
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore have developed a tiny 5-in-1 surgical microrobot measuring just 4.4 millimetres long – small enough to sit on a fingertip. Guided by external magnetic fields, the soft robot can move through tissue, cut biological material, deliver drugs, collect tissue samples and generate localised heat. It can switch between these functions in less than a second, without batteries, wires or onboard electronics.
The key innovation is a reprogrammable magnetic system that allows different parts of the robot to respond independently to external magnetic fields. This gives the device capabilities that are usually spread across several specialised microrobots. Its additional ability to roll along its own axis also gives it greater manoeuvrability, which could eventually help it navigate narrow and difficult-to-reach areas of the body.
Researchers tested the prototype using gelatin-based tissue models and chicken liver, where it successfully demonstrated cutting, drug delivery, tissue collection and heating. Tests using cultured human skin cells also found that more than 99% remained viable after exposure to the robot's materials. The heating function could potentially be useful for techniques such as magnetic hyperthermia, an experimental approach to treating tumours.
The technology is still at an early stage and has not yet been tested inside living people. The current prototype operates in laboratory conditions and must be controlled externally by magnetic coils. The researchers are now exploring ways to combine the robot with imaging and sensing technologies, with the longer-term goal of creating miniature tools capable of carrying out several diagnostic and therapeutic tasks during a single minimally invasive procedure.
