Tiny surgical robots to make breakthrough in cancer treatment with magnetic tentacles

In a breakthrough, researchers at the University of Leeds have developed a tiny robot which can travel deep into the lungs and has the ability to detect the first signs of cancer. The ultra-soft tentacle, which measures only 2 millimetres in diameter and is controlled by magnets, will be able to reach some of the smallest bronchial tubes and can bring a major transformation in the treatment of lung cancer.

The study paves the way for a more tailored, accurate and far less invasive approach to treatment and was developed by scientists, engineers, and clinicians based at the STORM Lab in Leeds.

Less tissue damage, better accuracy

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The magnetic tentacle robot was tested by the researchers on the lungs of a cadaver and it was discovered that it can travel 37 per cent deeper in comparison to the standard equipment and with less tissue damage.

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The results of the investigations, which were carried out using the funds of the European Research Council, were published in Nature Engineering Communications on Thursday (July 27).

Director of the STORM Lab and research supervisor Professor Pietro Valdastri said: “This is a really exciting development. This new approach has the advantage of being specific to the anatomy, softer than the anatomy, and fully-shape controllable via magnetics. These three main features have the potential to revolutionize navigation inside the body.”

Robots to pave way for less invasive treatment

The magnetic tentacle robot, while improving navigation within the lungs during biopsies, can also pave the way for far less invasive treatment by permitting clinicians to target only malicious cells and allow healthy organs and tissue to continue normal function.

Report’s co-author Dr Giovanni Pittiglio, who carried out the research while completing his PhD at the University of Leeds’s School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, said, “Our goal was, and is, to bring curative aid with minimal pain for the patient."

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“Remote magnetic actuation enabled us to do this using ultra-soft tentacles which can reach deeper while shaping to the anatomy and reducing trauma," he added.

The team will now get involved in collecting all the data which will permit them to start human trials.

The paper’s lead author Zaneta Koszowska, who is a researcher at the University of Leeds School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, stated, “This is a significant contribution to the field of magnetically controlled robotics. Our findings show that diagnostic procedures with a camera, as well as full surgical procedures, can be performed in small anatomical spaces.”

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