Biodegradable Thermomagnetically Responsive Soft Untethered Grippers

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Soft Robotics
• Materials Science

Background:

• Soft-robotic microgrippers offer potential for handling fragile biological materials in confined spaces.
• Current devices face challenges with retrieval after clinical use, necessitating biodegradability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop photopatterned, untethered soft-robotic grippers that are magnetically guided and biodegradable.
• To create shape-changing devices for potential applications in drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery.

Main Methods:

• Photopatterning of bilayer hydrogels: thermally responsive P(OEGMA-DSDMA) and low-swelling poly(acrylamide- N, N'-bis(acyloyl)cystamine).
• Incorporation of magnetic nanoparticles for external manipulation.
• Demonstration of temperature-induced shape change and biodegradability via disulfide bond cleavage.

Main Results:

• Fabricated untethered grippers capable of thermoresponsive shape change.
• Successfully doped grippers with magnetic nanoparticles for guided movement.
• Confirmed biodegradability of the grippers at physiological temperature (37 °C).

Conclusions:

• The developed soft-robotic grippers combine thermoresponsive actuation, magnetic guidance, and biodegradability.
• This approach enhances the safety and feasibility of untethered, shape-changing biomedical devices.
• Represents a significant advancement for soft robots in medical and surgical applications.