Equitranslational and Axially Rotational Microrobot using Electromagnetic Actuation System

Equitranslational and Axially Rotational Microrobot using Electromagnetic Actuation System

Recently, many researchers have focused on wireless microrobots as therapeutic agents for active drugdelivery. Owing to their size limitation, they cannot be equipped with actuators/sensors, controllers and batteries. Therefore, external devices (magnetic field generator, position recognition devices, and control system) are usedto realize the main functions (locomotion, sensing, and therapy) of biomedical microrobots and thus, to minimizetheir size. Especially, the small wireless microrobots, inserted into the human body, should have various steering,locomotive, and therapeutic functions for diagnosis and treatment. Generally, an external magnetic field is widelyused for the locomotion of a wireless microrobot. However, microrobots using an external magnetic field cannotsimultaneously realize equitranslational and axial rotational motions in the same microrobot system. In this paper,we developed an electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system and a spiral-shape microrobot and proposed its actuatingalgorithm. The developed wireless microrobot can show equitranslation and axial rotation in the same microrobotsystem. Finally, various experiments in a test-bed and in a blood vessel phantom validated that the developedmicrorobot can move to a target position by equitranslation and can penetrate a thrombus model by axial rotation.

Recently, many researchers have focused on wireless microrobots as therapeutic agents for active drugdelivery. Owing to their size limitation, they cannot be equipped with actuators/sensors, controllers and batteries. Therefore, external devices (magnetic field generator, position recognition devices, and control system) are usedto realize the main functions (locomotion, sensing, and therapy) of biomedical microrobots and thus, to minimizetheir size. Especially, the small wireless microrobots, inserted into the human body, should have various steering,locomotive, and therapeutic functions for diagnosis and treatment. Generally, an external magnetic field is widelyused for the locomotion of a wireless microrobot. However, microrobots using an external magnetic field cannotsimultaneously realize equitranslational and axial rotational motions in the same microrobot system. In this paper,we developed an electromagnetic actuation (EMA) system and a spiral-shape microrobot and proposed its actuatingalgorithm. The developed wireless microrobot can show equitranslation and axial rotation in the same microrobotsystem. Finally, various experiments in a test-bed and in a blood vessel phantom validated that the developedmicrorobot can move to a target position by equitranslation and can penetrate a thrombus model by axial rotation.