Wireless Stent-like Soft Millirobots (STENTBOT) for Minimally Invasive Brain Vasculature Disease Treatments

Introduction

Diseases in the brain vasculature, such as acute ischemic stroke, aneurysm, and brain tumors, are fatal and require medical devices to treat them with minimal invasion.

Current Challenges

However, current tethered devices have limited safe access into the distal or tortuous vascular routes, which prevents saving the lives of some patients.

Proposed Solution

Therefore, we propose a wireless stent-shaped magnetic soft millirobot, referred to as the stentbot, which would have the capability of safe access to such routes.

Repositioning Capability

Additionally, the stentbot will be able to be repositioned afterwards without repeating the same procedure fully again if:

1. The disease location changes
2. The initial position of the device is observed to be not optimal

Origin of the Concept

Such a robot concept was originated in the ERC-AdG project of the Principal Investigator (PI).

Functionality

After reaching its target location safely and precisely under medical imaging and external magnetic actuation guidance, the robot will deliver tissue plasminogen activator drugs on-demand locally to treat the acute ischemic stroke.

Treatment of Aneurysms

Moreover, the robot will be used to treat aneurysms minimally invasively by becoming a flow diverter to regulate flow into the aneurysm sites.