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Trends in Micro-/Nanorobotics: Materials Development, Actuation, Localization, and System Integration for Biomedical
Ben Wang1,2, Kostas Kostarelos3,4, Bradley J Nelson5
1Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin N.T., Hong Kong, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|February 22, 2021
Summary
Micro-/nanorobots (m-bots) show promise for in vivo biomedical applications, including diagnosis and therapy. This review covers their design, functionalization, actuation, and localization for enhanced medical interventions.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Nanotechnology
- Robotics
Background:
- Micro-/nanorobots (m-bots) are increasingly researched for biomedical and environmental applications.
- In vivo diagnosis and intervention using m-bots are areas of intense recent investigation.
- Successful biomedical m-bot integration requires expertise in design, functionalization, actuation, and imaging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the design, fabrication, functionalization, actuation, and localization of biomedical micro-/nanorobots.
- To comprehensively evaluate and compare existing biomedical m-bot systems.
- To summarize current challenges and future research directions in the field.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of micro-/nanorobot design and fabrication techniques.
- Analysis of surface functionalization strategies for biomedical applications.
- Evaluation of remote actuation systems for m-bot control.
- Review of clinical imaging techniques for m-bot localization and tracking.
Main Results:
- Biomedical m-bots are being developed for diverse applications including diagnosis, sensing, microsurgery, drug/cell delivery, thrombus ablation, and wound healing.
- The review provides a comparative evaluation of different m-bot systems based on their characteristics.
- Key challenges and future research avenues are identified.
Conclusions:
- Advancements in m-bot design, functionalization, actuation, and localization are critical for successful in vivo biomedical applications.
- Further research is needed to overcome current challenges and fully realize the potential of m-bots in medicine.
- The integration of these aspects is crucial for translating m-bot technology into clinical practice.
