New MRI technique enables real-time, artifact-free control of magnetic microrobots
A new MRI sequence allows real-time, artifact-free navigation of magnetic microrobots for minimally invasive procedures.
Key Takeaways
ETH Zurich researchers developed a new MRI sequence enabling real-time, artifact-free navigation of magnetic microrobots.
The technique eliminates imaging artifacts that previously prevented simultaneous tracking and steering of microrobots with MRI.
Sub-millimeter robots were navigated through complex vascular phantoms with positional accuracy under 100 micrometers.
The advance could enable minimally invasive procedures such as targeted drug delivery and micro-surgery inside the human body.
Kaan Tınmaz
A new MRI sequence allows real-time, artifact-free navigation of magnetic microrobots for minimally invasive procedures. This breakthrough could revolutionize how doctors perform targeted drug delivery and micro-surgery inside the human body.
The technique, developed by researchers at ETH Zurich, eliminates the imaging artifacts that previously made it impossible to simultaneously track and steer microrobots using MRI. The team demonstrated precise navigation of sub-millimeter robots through complex vascular phantoms, achieving positional accuracy of less than 100 micrometers.
It removes the imaging artifacts that previously made it impossible to simultaneously track and steer magnetic microrobots using MRI, enabling real-time, artifact-free navigation.
How accurate is the microrobot navigation?
The ETH Zurich team demonstrated positional accuracy of less than 100 micrometers while steering sub-millimeter robots through complex vascular phantoms.
What are the potential medical applications?
The technique could enable minimally invasive procedures like targeted drug delivery and micro-surgery inside the human body.
Who developed the technique?
Researchers at ETH Zurich developed the new MRI sequence.
