Soft Medical Microrobots

软体医疗微型机器人

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04551
• 负责人: Diller, Eric
• 金额: $ 2.33万
• 依托单位: University of Toronto
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=740032
• 关键词: Soft; Medical; Microrobots

Microrobots are devices smaller than millimetres in size that be wirelessly controlled to go inside the body for surgery, biopsy and diagnosis. Microrobots promise a non-invasive alternative to open surgery, biopsy needles and colonoscopies for many routine and emergency procedures. Our health system performs millions of invasive procedures yearly with a large cost in money spent, quality of life lost due to long recoveries and complications, and difficult in accessing care for many populations. Early studies on microrobots have demonstrated the potential of soft microrobots which can safely fold into miniature grippers, drug carriers and soft sampling capsules. Driven by magnetic fields, these soft microrobots can precisely move in 3D under computer control. However, demonstrations to date have been at the proof of concept stage and soft microrobots currently lack the required sophistication of design, ability to be tracked using medical imaging and strength needed for manipulating samples and tissue. As a result, soft microrobots have not moved out from the laboratory despite their potential for improvements to healthcare. In this Discovery Grant we will advance this promising new field of soft wireless microrobots from proof of concept to proven technology through new knowledge of operation and advances in fabrication, design and control. Aim I will introduce a new method for creating soft magnetic microrobots which are optimally designed for medical applications and fabricated using a new custom 3D printing platform we will develop. Aim II will solve the second main hurdle in soft microrobots for medicine, that of tracking the microrobots using medical imaging. We will use ultrasound imaging with new machine learning-based microrobot tracking algorithms to reliably track microrobot position and status in the body, as tested in the lab. In Aim III, we will develop the leading magnetic actuation system to create large magnetic fields which can dexterously move microrobots in 3D and activate their on-board tools in a sophisticated and controlled manner. These three aims together will represent a major advance in the understanding and capabilities of soft microrobots. The impact of this advance will be felt by patients when these results lead to less invasive surgery and diagnosis. The knowledge and technology generated will be translated to improve the innovation of Canadian industry, which is building in the area of medical robotics. There is an excellent opportunity for Canadian companies to lead in this sector, if it is supported with innovative ideas and trained HQP. This research program will train HQP in medical robotics to lead these high-impact research efforts in Canadian industry and academia. Through high-impact research results and an inclusive and diverse research training environment focused on developing relevant in-demand skills, this Discovery Grant will lead to the implementation of soft microrobots in medicine.

微型机器人是尺寸小于毫米的设备，可以无线控制进入人体进行手术，活检和诊断。微型机器人有望成为开放手术、活检针和结肠镜检查的非侵入性替代品，用于许多常规和紧急手术。我们的卫生系统每年进行数百万次侵入性手术，花费了大量资金，由于长期恢复和并发症而失去了生活质量，并且许多人难以获得护理。对微型机器人的早期研究已经证明了软微型机器人的潜力，它可以安全地折叠成微型抓取器、药物载体和软采样胶囊。在磁场的驱动下，这些柔软的微型机器人可以在计算机控制下精确地进行3D运动。然而，迄今为止的演示一直处于概念验证阶段，并且软微型机器人目前缺乏所需的设计复杂性，使用医学成像进行跟踪的能力以及操纵样本和组织所需的强度。因此，尽管软微型机器人有改善医疗保健的潜力，但它们还没有走出实验室。 在这项发现补助金中，我们将通过新的操作知识和制造，设计和控制方面的进步，从概念证明到成熟的技术，推进软无线微型机器人这一有前途的新领域。我将介绍一种新的方法来创建软磁微型机器人，这些机器人是为医疗应用而设计的，并使用我们将开发的新的定制3D打印平台制造。目标二将解决第二个主要障碍，在软微型机器人的医疗，即跟踪微型机器人使用医疗成像。我们将使用超声成像和新的基于机器学习的微型机器人跟踪算法来可靠地跟踪微型机器人在体内的位置和状态，正如在实验室中测试的那样。在Aim III中，我们将开发领先的磁致动系统，以产生大磁场，从而可以灵活地在3D中移动微型机器人，并以复杂和受控的方式激活其机载工具。这三个目标将共同代表对软微型机器人的理解和能力的重大进步。 当这些结果导致微创手术和诊断时，患者将感受到这一进步的影响。产生的知识和技术将被转化为提高加拿大工业的创新，这是在医疗机器人领域的建设。如果有创新的想法和训练有素的HQP的支持，加拿大公司将有很好的机会在这一领域发挥领导作用。该研究项目将培训HQP在医疗机器人方面的能力，以领导加拿大工业界和学术界的高影响力研究工作。通过高影响力的研究成果和专注于开发相关需求技能的包容性和多样化的研究培训环境，该发现补助金将导致在医学中实施软微型机器人。