Small
·
2024
·
IF 13
Xuqi Peng,Haitian Tang,Zhenwen Zhao,Yating Zheng,Xiran Gui,Aijun Jiang,Pan He,Xiaofei Wen,Qian Zhang,Ziyang Mei,Yesi Shi,Chengchao Chu,Yang Zhang,Gang Liu
Microrobots for endovascular embolization face challenges in precise delivery within dynamic blood vessels. Here, an intelligent generic high-throughput oscillatory shear technology (iGHOST) is proposed to fabricate diversely programmable, multifunctional microrobots capable of real-time visual guidance for in vivo endovascular embolization. Leveraging machine learning (ML), key synthesis parameters affecting the success and sphericity of the microrobots are identified. Therefore, the ML-optimized iGHOST enables continuous production of uniform microrobots with programmable sizes (400−1000 µm) at an ultrahigh rate exceeding 240 mL h −1 by oscillatory segmenting fluid into droplets before ionic cross-linking, and without requiring purification. Particularly, the iGHOST-fabricated magnetically responsive lipiodol-calcium alginate (MagLiCA) microrobots are highly distinguishable under X-ray imaging, which allows for precise navigation in fluid flows of up to 4 mL min −1 and accurate embolization in liver and kidney blood vessels, thus addressing the current issues. Crucially, MagLiCA microrobots possess drug-loading capabilities, enabling simultaneous embolization and site-specific treatment. The iGHOST process is an intelligent, rapid, and green manufacturing method, which can produce size-controllable, multifunctional microrobots with the potential for precise drug delivery and treatment under real-time imaging across various medical applications.
研究领域:
医学工程
·
生物材料学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Intelligent Systems
·
2021
·Vol. 3
·期 10
·2000232
·
IF 0
Qianying Chen,Tian-Yun Huang,Pengyu Lv,Jianyong Huang,Huiling Duan
Intelligent micromachines that perform tasks in complex microenvironments by adjusting structural configurations and physical properties offer substantial potential for use in many fields, including precision medicine, microfluidic channels, micromanipulations, and bioengineering. Recent progress in smart materials and 4D microprinting provides a feasible strategy for fabricating compound micromachines by designing and assembling predictable 3D-to-3D shape-morphing components. However, shape transformations of these components can only be triggered simultaneously by external stimuli, and orderly triggering among them cannot be achieved yet for an intended purpose of performing more efficient actions. Herein, a novel sequentially triggered strategy is proposed for developing intelligent micromachines that consist of multiple reconfigurable components that work interactively with each other. Furthermore, self-locking micromachines with tunable coupling mechanisms that coordinate accurate time-sequence deformations among components are achieved. Three types of locking couplings are modulated based on finite-element analysis (FEA)-aided design. The proposed method provides an effective strategy to create next-generation intelligent micromachines that can change their shapes to adapt to complex situations and complete multiple tasks.
研究领域:
生物工程
·
精密医学
·
微流控技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
Micromachines
·
2021
·Vol. 12
·期 12
·1529
·
IF 2.891
Tao Zhang,Yuguo Deng,Bo Zhou,Jiayu Liu,Yufeng Su,Mu Li,Weiwei Zhang
Swarming robotic systems, which stem from insect swarms in nature, exhibit a high level of environmental adaptability and enhanced tasking capabilities for targeted delivery and micromanipulation. Here, we present a strategy that reconfigures paramagnetic nanoparticles into microswarms energized by a sawtooth magnetic field. A rotary-stepping magnetic-chain mechanism is proposed to address the forming principle of disk-like swarms. Based on programming the sawtooth field, the microswarm can perform reversible transformations between a disk, an ellipse and a ribbon, as well as splitting and merging. In addition, the swarms can be steered in any direction with excellent maneuverability and a high level of pattern stability. Under accurate manipulation of a magnetic microswarm, multiple microparts with complicated shapes were successfully combined into a complete assembly. This reconfigurable swarming microrobot may shed light on the understanding of complex morphological transformations in living systems and provide future practical applications of microfabrication and micromanipulation.Keywords:microrobot;disk-like swarm;sawtooth magnetic field;microassembly
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
Advanced Intelligent Systems
·
2019
·Vol. 1
·期 7
·1900064
·
IF 0
Daolin Wang,Zhihua Lin,Chang Zhou,Changyong Gao,Qiang He
One of the great challenges in the field of tiny machines is the capability of engineering liquid metal micromachines to autonomously move within confining channels to perform various complex tasks. Herein, liquid metal gallium micromachines that significantly increase their velocity in confining channels with adaptive deformation under exposure to an electric field are presented. The liquid metal gallium micromachines move toward the negative electrode under the propulsion of hydrogen bubbles, which is obviously different from the previous report that liquid metal gallium alloy (i.e., Galinstan) micromachines move to the positive electrode, owing to the surface tension gradient. More importantly, the liquid metal gallium micromachine can adaptively deform and accelerate in confined channels. The velocity of liquid metal gallium micromachines increases with the decrease in the width of channels. It is found that the speed-up motion of liquid metal gallium micromachines is caused by the enhanced electro-osmosis effect in confining channels. The findings not only help understand the role of the confinement effect on the motion of liquid metal micromachines but also provide a novel strategy to manipulate the motion velocity of liquid metal micromachines for specific applications.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
微纳米技术
·
物理学
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
Science Advances
·
2023
·Vol. 9
·期 18
·
IF 13.6
Tianlong Li,Shimin Yu,Bei Sun,Yilong Li,Xinlong Wang,Yunlu Pan,Chunlei Song,Yukun Ren,Zhanxiang Zhang,Kenneth T. V. Grattan,Zhiguang Wu,Jie Zhao
Swimming microrobots guided in the circulation system offer considerable promise in precision medicine but currently suffer from problems such as limited adhesion to blood vessels, intensive blood flow, and immune system clearance—all reducing the targeted interaction. A swimming microrobot design with clawed geometry, a red blood cell (RBC) membrane–camouflaged surface, and magnetically actuated retention is discussed, allowing better navigation and inspired by the tardigrade’s mechanical claw engagement, coupled to an RBC membrane coating, to minimize blood flow impact. Using clinical intravascular optical coherence tomography in vivo, the microrobots’ activity and dynamics in a rabbit jugular vein was monitored, illustrating very effective magnetic propulsion, even against a flow of ~2.1 cm/s, comparable with rabbit blood flow characteristics. The equivalent friction coefficient with magnetically actuated retention is elevated ~24-fold, compared to magnetic microspheres, achieving active retention at 3.2 cm/s, for >36 hours, showing considerable promise across biomedical applications.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
微机器人技术
·
仿生学
·
药物递送系统
·
生物物理学
·
纳米医学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION TECHNOLOGY
·
2024
·
IF 8.1
Zhiyong Ran,Tieyan Si,Xiankun Lin,Yue Li,Jie Han,Qiang He
Enantioselective separation plays a crucial role in pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and food industries. To improve the efficiency of enantioselective separation is still highly desirable and challenging. Here, an enantioseparation method was developed by employing magnetically-propelled microbots. The microbots were fabricated by sputter coating of the Ni layer onto the helical polyaniline (PANI) microfibers. Under a conical magnetic field, microbots exhibited the rotation-swing forward motion. Physical simulation showed that motion of the microbots leads to the forming of turbulence, showing micro-mixing effect and enhanced fluid diffusion. The microbots displayed higher separation efficiency and better stability for enantioselective separation of four kinds of racemic amino acids, compared to the PANI microfibers, with the enantiomeric excess (ee%) of 69.8 % for alanine. Magnetically-propelled motion of the microbots should increase the possibility of collision and recognition of amino acids with the PANI, enabling the improvement of the enantioseparation efficiency. This microbot-based methodology paves a promising way for highly efficient enantioselective separation.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物医学工程
·
制药工程
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
高影响因子
Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology
·
2021
·
IF 5.89
Yu Shimin,Sun Zhongqi,Zhang Zhanxiang,Sun Haoran,Liu Lina,Wang Wuyi,Li Mu,Zhao Qingsong,Li Tianlong
With the development of designed materials and structures, a wide array of micro/nanomachines with versatile functionalities are employed for specific sensing applications. Here, we demonstrated a magnetic propelled microdimer-based point-of-care testing system, which can be used to provide the real-time data of plasma glucose and lipids relying on the motion feedback of mechanical properties. On-demand and programmable speed and direction of the microdimers can be achieved with the judicious adjustment of the external magnetic field, while their velocity and instantaneous postures provide estimation of glucose, cholesterol, and triglycerides concentrations with high temporal accuracy. Numerical simulations reveal the relationship between motility performance and surrounding liquid properties. Such technology presents a point-of-care testing (POCT) approach to adapt to biofluid measurement, which advances the development of microrobotic system in biomedical fields.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
材料科学
·
诊断学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Small
·
2023
·Vol. 19
·期 42
·2302656
·
IF 13.3
Jingang Wang,Yuzhao Zhang,Jianchen Zheng,Xiubao Zhao,Hongji Guo,Ye Qiu,Xiaoduo Wang,Lianqing Liu,Haibo Yu
An active heterostructure with smart-response material used as “muscle” and inactive material as “skeleton” can deform over time to respond to external stimuli. 4D printing integrated with two-photon polymerization technology and smart material allows the material or characteristic distribution of active heterostructures to be defined directly at the microscale, providing a huge programmable space. However, the high degree of design freedom and the microscale pose a challenge to the construction of micromachines with customized shape morphing. Here, a reverse design strategy based on multi-material stepwise 4D printing is proposed to guide the structural design of biomimetic micromachines. Inspired by the piecewise constant curvature model of soft robot, a reverse design algorithm based on the Timoshenko model is developed. The algorithm can approximate 2D features to a constant-curvature model and determine an acceptable material distribution within the explored printing range. Three Chinese “Long” (Chinese dragon heralds of good fortune) designed by the strategy can deform to the customized shape. In addition, a microcrawler printed using this method can imitate a real inchworm gait. These results demonstrate that this method can be an efficient tool for the action or shape design of bionic soft microrobots or micromachines with predetermined functions.
研究领域:
材料科学
·
生物仿生学
·
微纳米技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Small
·
2023
·Vol. 19
·期 23
·2207360
·
IF 13.3
Weiwei Zhang,Yuguo Deng,Jinhao Zhao,Tao Zhang,Xiang Zhang,Wenping Song,Lin Wang,Tianlong Li
Nature provides a successful evolutionary direction for single-celled organisms to solve complex problems and complete survival tasks – pseudopodium. Amoeba, a unicellular protozoan, can produce temporary pseudopods in any direction by controlling the directional flow of protoplasm to perform important life activities such as environmental sensing, motility, predation, and excretion. However, creating robotic systems with pseudopodia to emulate environmental adaptability and tasking capabilities of natural amoeba or amoeboid cells remains challenging. Here, this work presents a strategy that uses alternating magnetic fields to reconfigure magnetic droplet into Amoeba-like microrobot, and the mechanisms of pseudopodia generation and locomotion are analyzed. By simply adjusting the field direction, microrobots switch in monopodia, bipodia, and locomotion modes, performing all pseudopod operations such as active contraction, extension, bending, and amoeboid movement. The pseudopodia endow droplet robots with excellent maneuverability to adapt to environmental variations, including spanning 3D terrains and swimming in bulk liquids. Inspired by the “Venom,” the phagocytosis and parasitic behaviors have also been investigated. Parasitic droplets inherit all the capabilities of amoeboid robot, expanding their applicable scenarios such as reagent analysis, microchemical reactions, calculi removal, and drug-mediated thrombolysis. This microrobot may provide fundamental understanding of single-celled livings, and potential applications in biotechnology and biomedicine.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
仿生学
·
微纳米技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
·
2025
·
IF 8.2
Jiawen Niu,Fawang Zhang,Chenlu Liu,Kunrong Xie,Yuanxiang Zhang,Jie Zhang,Xijun Wang,Chengchao Song,Boyuan Li,Yuhang Jiang,Tianlong Li,Yufu Wang
Regulating microglia to modulate the inflammatory response in the early stages of spinal cord injury is crucial for neural repair. Commonly used drugs to inhibit inflammation and microglial activity in clinical practice, such as glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, are associated with potential side effects. Eleutheroside B (EB), a natural plant extract, has been demonstrated an efficient anti-inflammatory action with low toxicity and the ability to promote neural repair and axon regeneration, suggesting its potential role in treating SCI. Recently, magnetically driven microrobots have demonstrated the ability to deliver drugs and provide precise targeting in deep tissues, which may help increase the dose of EB at the injury site. In this study, we design biomimetic magnetically driven microrobots loaded with EB, which offer efficient motion control and drug delivery capabilities. In a mouse SCI model, the magnetic microrobot with macrophage membrane functionalized and EBs (MPE robot) actively target the injured area using rotating magnetic fields in the early stages of injury, modulated the local microglial phenotype to a neuroprotective state, inhibited local inflammation, and promote axon regeneration and neurological recovery. This approach demonstrates that a biomimetic microrobot loaded with EB offers an effective strategy for treating SCI and other central nervous system diseases.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
神经科学
·
机器人学
·
药理学
·
炎症研究
·
纳米技术
✓ 已验证
产品关联
DOI
PubMed
高影响因子
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
·
2022
·
IF 16.744
Laibo Song,Shujie Zhang,Qimeng Wang,Wei Chen,Bo Liu,Yuan-Di Zhao
Owing to the dispersion of photothermal particles and targeted bacteria, the heat generated by the photothermal effect cannot be completely transferred to the target, resulting in a reduction in the efficiency of traditional photothermal sterilization. Herein, to solve the problem, a new photothermal sterilization platform was successfully developed for capturing and gathering bacteria based on the photothermal effect of microbots. The sterilization microbots were fabricated from carbonized sunflower pollen grains (SPG) with polydopamine (PDA) coating. Bacterial capture molecule, vancomycin, is grafted onto the outer surface of the PDA. Under the focused laser, the PDA/SPG microbot can show positive phototactic motion and bubble-induced gathering powered by photothermal-induced Marangoni effect for efficient capture, concentration, and aggregation the targeted bacteria. Moreover, the gathered microbots can generate higher temperature through photothermal effect to efficiently kill bacteria compared with the dispersed ones. In word, such sterilization microbots could provide a new proof-of-concept perspective on photothermal therapy, and be promising for various sterilization applications.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
微生物学
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
Additive Manufacturing
·
2024
·
IF 10.3
Jingang Wang,Yuzhao Zhang,Jianchen Zheng,Hongji Guo,Ye Qiu,Xiaoduo Wang,Lianqing Liu,Haibo Yu
It has been widely reported that untethered micro-robots can access hard-to-reach regions within the body to perform a range of medical procedures. However, the narrow operating space limits the ability of such micro-robots to interact with the external environment. Here, inspired by chameleons, we propose a prehensile micro-tentacle with wide-spectral deformability using the micro four-dimensional (4D)-printing technology. The design procedure includes programmable design material distribution and the integration of pH-responsive hydrogels and photoresists via the two-photon polymerization (TPP) process to build pH-responsive actuated joints . The resulting micro-tentacles were able to wrap objects located within a range of >12 times their own volume, wherein the theoretical size range of these entangled objects was found to range from 6.5 to 40 µm. Furthermore, we demonstrate the cell-capturing characteristics of micro-tentacles and confirm their ability to anchor onto specific objects. Such micro-tentacles with a large graspable space and an excellent shape adaptability could be easily integrated into untethered micro-robots in the future, paving the way for their medical application in complex biological environments.
研究领域:
生物医学工程
·
材料科学
·
微纳米技术
✓ 已验证
DOI
高影响因子
危险品化学品经营许可证（带存储）