It was five times more effective at breaking up clots than the drugs alone The team believe that the robot's rotor helps the drugs circulate around the clot
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Blood clots might be soon be cleared by using microscopic robots with screw-like propellers that swim through blood vessels bearing blockage-busting drugs.
Developed by engineers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the microrobot design was inspired by the tails of bacteria like E. coli.
The tiny robot and its propeller are driven by the application of an external magnetic field — and it is capable of moving with and against the direction of the blood flow.
Tests in a fake vein filled with pig's blood showed the robot makes its clot-dissolving 'tissue plasminogen activator' cargo five times more effective than the drug alone.
The robot's rotor, the team said, may help to circulate the drug around the blockage site — better breaking up the clots and reducing the risk of large fragments.
These are a risk when using the drug treatment alone — and with catheter-based alternative approaches — and can lead to additional blockages 'downstream'.
As it is hard to navigate the robots long distances through the body, the researchers cautioned, the approach might be better applied to more accessible clots.
Blood clots might be soon be cleared by using microscopic robots with screw-like propellers that swim through blood vessels bearing blockage-busting drugs. The tiny robot and its propeller are driven by the application of an external magnetic field — and it is capable of moving with and against the direction of the blood flow
Developed by engineers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the microrobot design was inspired by the tails of bacteria like E. coli (pictured). Tests in a fake vein filled with pig's blood showed the robot makes its clot-dissolving 'tissue plasminogen activator' cargo five times more effective than the drug alone
