Ingestible, controllable, and degradable origami robot for patching stomach wounds

Developing miniature robots that can carry out versatile clinical procedures inside the body under the remote instructions of medical professionals has been a long time challenge. In this paper, we present origami-based robots that can be ingested into the stomach, locomote to a desired location, patch a wound, remove a foreign body, deliver drugs, and biodegrade. We designed and fabricated composite material sheets for a biocompatible and biodegradable robot that can be encapsulated in ice for delivery through the esophagus, embed a drug layer that is passively released to a wounded area, and be remotely controlled to carry out underwater maneuvers specific to the tasks using magnetic fields. The performances of the robots are demonstrated in a simulated physical environment consisting of an esophagus and stomach with properties similar to the biological organs.

[1]  R. Webster,et al.  Advanced technologies for gastrointestinal endoscopy. , 2012, Annual review of biomedical engineering.

[2]  Pierre E. Dupont,et al.  Robotic implant to apply tissue traction forces in the treatment of esophageal atresia , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

[3]  Jake J. Abbott,et al.  OctoMag: An Electromagnetic System for 5-DOF Wireless Micromanipulation , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Robotics.

[4]  Paolo Dario,et al.  An Integrated System for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy in a Liquid-Distended Stomach , 2014, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[5]  Jake J. Abbott,et al.  Experimental investigation of magnetic self-assembly for swallowable modular robots , 2008, 2008 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[6]  Seong Young Ko,et al.  Active Locomotive Intestinal Capsule Endoscope (ALICE) System: A Prospective Feasibility Study , 2015, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[7]  Cheng-Long Chuang,et al.  Magnetic Control System Targeted for Capsule Endoscopic Operations in the Stomach—Design, Fabrication, and in vitro and ex vivo Evaluations , 2012, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[8]  Ioannis K. Kaliakatsos,et al.  Microrobots for minimally invasive medicine. , 2010, Annual review of biomedical engineering.

[9]  K. Kuribayashi,et al.  Self-deployable origami stent grafts as a biomedical application of Ni-rich TiNi shape memory alloy foil , 2006 .

[10]  Liang Yan,et al.  Capsule Robot for Obesity Treatment With Wireless Powering and Communication , 2015, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics.

[11]  M. Nokata,et al.  Capsule type medical robot with magnetic drive in abdominal cavity , 2008, 2008 2nd IEEE RAS & EMBS International Conference on Biomedical Robotics and Biomechatronics.

[12]  Federico Carpi,et al.  Magnetic Maneuvering of Endoscopic Capsules by Means of a Robotic Navigation System , 2009, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[13]  Cagdas D. Onal,et al.  Self-pop-up cylindrical structure by global heating , 2013, 2013 IEEE/RSJ International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems.

[14]  Sabine Hauert,et al.  Mechanisms of cooperation in cancer nanomedicine: towards systems nanotechnology. , 2014, Trends in biotechnology.

[15]  Metin Sitti,et al.  A Legged Anchoring Mechanism for Capsule Endoscopes Using Micropatterned Adhesives , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering.

[16]  M. Sitti,et al.  Magnetically Actuated Soft Capsule With the Multimodal Drug Release Function , 2013, IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics.

[17]  Daniela Rus,et al.  An untethered miniature origami robot that self-folds, walks, swims, and degrades , 2015, 2015 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA).

[18]  B. Nelson,et al.  Shape-switching microrobots for medical applications: the influence of shape in drug delivery and locomotion. , 2015, ACS applied materials & interfaces.