Soft Medical Microrobots

微型机器人是一种尺寸小于毫米的设备，可以无线控制进入体内进行手术、活组织检查和诊断。微型机器人承诺为许多常规和紧急程序提供一种非侵入性替代开放手术、活检针和结肠镜检查的方法。我们的卫生系统每年进行数以百万计的侵入性手术，花费巨大的金钱，由于长期康复和并发症而失去生活质量，并难以获得许多人口的护理。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，它们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，这些软式微型机器人可以在计算机控制下以3D方式精确移动。然而，到目前为止，演示还处于概念验证阶段，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力量。因此，尽管软微型机器人具有改善医疗保健的潜力，但它们并没有离开实验室。 在这项探索基金中，我们将通过新的操作知识和制造、设计和控制方面的进步，将软无线微型机器人这一前景看好的新领域从概念验证提升到经过验证的技术。目的我将介绍一种制造软磁微型机器人的新方法，这种机器人是为医疗应用而优化设计的，并使用我们将开发的新的定制3D打印平台进行制造。AIM II将解决医用软微型机器人的第二个主要障碍，即使用医学成像跟踪微型机器人。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，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，以创建能够在3D中灵活移动微型机器人并以复杂和可控的方式激活其车载工具的大磁场。这三个目标加在一起将代表着软微型机器人在理解和能力方面的重大进步。 当这些结果导致侵入性较小的手术和诊断时，患者将感受到这一进步的影响。所产生的知识和技术将被转化为改善加拿大工业的创新，加拿大工业正在医疗机器人领域建立。如果有创新的想法和训练有素的HQP支持，加拿大公司在这一领域处于领先地位的绝佳机会。这项研究计划将培训HQP在医疗机器人方面，以领导加拿大工业界和学术界的这些高影响力的研究工作。通过高影响力的研究成果和专注于发展相关需求技能的包容性和多样化的研究培训环境，这项发现赠款将导致在医学上实施软微型机器人。

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.