This MIT robot slips into the blood vessels of the brain

A small wire-shaped robot, imagined by MIT engineers, can navigate the brain’s blood vessels to break up clots or to treat aneurysms.

MIT engineers fabricated a robot that slides into the blood vessels of the brain. It could be used for treat aneurysms or attacks, as well as to carry drug substances against clots. This would allow surgeons to no longer have to resort to open brain operations. They wouldn't even have no need to be in the same room to be able to control it.

This wire-shaped robot is made of an alloy of nickel and titanium. That gives it properties that make it both flexible and elastic. It is covered with a rubbery paste in which are integrated magnetic particles. Finally, it is coated witha layer of hydrogel to make it not very sensitive to friction. To direct it, it suffices to use magnets.

MIT's wire robot can sneak everywhere

Right now, to undo a clot in the brain, a surgeon has to perform a complicated and dangerous procedure. This involves inserting a wire to which a catheter is attached to the blood vessels. In addition, to observe the progress of the wire in real time, it must use fluoroscopy. It’s an x-ray imaging technique that therefore emits radiation that can cause injury by being exposed to it, as is the case with a surgeon. The MIT robot, remotely controllable by a joystick, would solve this problem.

The other advantage of the robot, thanks to its top layer of hydrogel, is thatit can reach blood vessels too small for a catheter. The organization of the brain is complex and sometimes requires opening the skull during surgery to access dark areas. Something that is best avoided.

This project by a group of engineers from MIT is not yet ready for clinical trials. They are content for the moment with tests on replicas of the main blood vessels of the brain. Ultimately, the team hopes to be able to dissolve clots thanks to on-board laser by the robot.

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