Tiny Surgical Robot Travels Deep Into Lungs to Detect and Treat Cancer

The magnetic tentacle robot, developed by engineers, scientists and clinicians based at the University of Leeds’ (West Yorkshire, UK) STORM Lab was tested on cadaver lungs. The researchers discovered that it can travel 37% deeper into the lungs compared to standard equipment, causing less tissue damage. The robot not only enhances navigation during lung biopsies but also paves the way for significantly less invasive treatments. This technology allows medical professionals to specifically target harmful cells while sparing healthy tissues and organs, thus preserving normal function. The team's next goal is to gather the necessary data to initiate human trials.

“This is a really exciting development,” said Professor Pietro Valdastri, Director of the STORM Lab and research supervisor. “This new approach has the advantage of being specific to the anatomy, softer than the anatomy and fully shape-controllable via magnetics. These three main features have the potential to revolutionize navigation inside the body.”

“Our goal was, and is, to bring curative aid with minimal pain for the patient,” added Dr. Giovanni Pittiglio, who carried out the research while conducting his PhD. “Remote magnetic actuation enabled us to do this using ultra-soft tentacles which can reach deeper, while shaping to the anatomy and reducing trauma.”

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