Microscale Swimming Medibot in Human Body Propelled by Oscillating Bubbles

本研究的目的是研制一种可在人体内游泳的微型医用机器人(医用机器人)，其大小为20~150？m。这种方法是利用最近在振荡微泡中发现的推进现象。智力上的好处：拟议的研究将产生对推进物理和机理的理解和知识，开发系统级的介体机器人设备，并将该设备应用于模型应用。其他智力优势是：(I)临床证明人体内使用微泡，因为微泡目前被注入血管并用作超声造影剂；(Ii)体内的种子介体机器人可以通过现有的超声成像系统轻松地推进和定位；(Iii)Medibots是无线供电的，不需要任何物理布线；以及(Iv)推进系统非常简单，使得设备制造变得容易得多。广泛的影响：所提出的医用机器人可以用于导航通过低速血管和静止的充液区域，提供直接到达人体内极难到达的位置的通道，而这是目前的介入机器人无法实现的。这种能力对各种潜在的生物医学应用产生了巨大的影响，可能会打开药物输送、生物传感和生物外科的新天地。这项研究还将通过以下方式对教育产生重大影响：重新设计本科生和研究生的跨学科课程；让毕业生和本科生参与研究，特别是来自代表性不足的群体；在当地的K-12学校或社区博物馆展示这一项目的成果；以及改善跨学科微观科学/工程学培训的基础设施。

Microscale Swimming Medibot in Human Body Propelled by Oscillating BubblesThe objective of this research is to develop a microscale medibot (medical robot) of 20~150 ?Ým in size, which can swim inside the human body. The approach is to utilize the recently discovered propelling phenomena occurring in oscillating microbubbles.Intellectual Merit: The proposed research will generate an understanding and knowledge of propulsion physics and mechanisms, develop a system-level medibot device, and apply the device to a model application. Additional intellectual merits are: (i) The use of microbubbles inside the human body is clinically proven as microbubbles are currently injected into the blood vessels and used as ultrasound contrast agents; (ii) Seeded medibots in the body can be easily propelled and located by existing ultrasound imaging systems; (iii) Medibots are powered wirelessly, not requiring any physical wiring; and (iv) The propulsion system is very simple, making device fabrication much easier.Broader Impact: The proposed medibot can be used for navigating through low-speed blood vessels and quiescent fluid-filled regions, providing direct access to extremely hard-to-reach spots in the human body that would not be realized by using currently existing interventional robots. This capability has tremendous impact on various potential biomedical applications, possibly opening a new horizon in drug delivery, bio-sensing, and bio-surgery. This research will also have significant impact on education by re-engineering interdisciplinary coursework for both undergraduates and graduates; having graduates and undergraduates involved in research especially from the underrepresented groups; demonstrating results from this project in local K-12 schools or community museums; and improving infrastructure for training in interdisciplinary micro-science/engineering.