A new miniature robot has been developed by researchers at Hanyang University in Seoul, South Korea, which can clear blocked blood vessels and replace the need for invasive surgery. Blocked arteries and blood vessels are a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and peripheral artery disease, among other vascular diseases. These conditions are often caused by obesity and an aging population. Current treatment methods involve invasive surgery, which can be very stressful for patients and expose surgeons to high levels of radiation. The new robot, called I-Raman, is attached to a catheter and moved through the patient’s body using an external magnetic field. Once in place, the robot is uncoupled from the catheter and begins to clear the blocked blood vessels autonomously.
The robot uses a 3D map of the blood vessels, created from 2D X-ray images before the procedure, to navigate and can expand blood vessels with inflatable balloons, remove blood clots, and administer drugs and contrast agents locally. Once the procedure is complete, the robot is reconnected to the catheter and removed from the body using the magnetic field. Tests on artificial blood vessels and eight pigs have been successful, and the researchers plan to strengthen the magnetic field for navigation and further reduce the size of the robot before beginning clinical trials on humans.
This new technology has the potential to revolutionize the treatment of vascular diseases, reducing the need for invasive surgery and improving patient outcomes. The I-Raman robot is a significant step forward in the field of endovascular intervention and could save countless lives in the future.
