Tiny robots developed by NTU could be your future surgeon

The robot can also generate heat inside the body when activated by high-frequency alternating magnetic fields, which could advance magnetic hyperthermia techniques being studied as a way to destroy or weaken cancer cells without invasive surgery.

“Small-scale robots can potentially increase the efficacy of heat treatments because they can move to very specific locations and provide very localised heating. By doing so, we can target the cancer cells that need to be destroyed and ensure that healthy cells are not affected,” Prof Lum said.

The NTU research team tested the robot’s surgical capabilities using biological tissue models such as chicken liver.

Made of soft magnetic materials, the robot’s central module can be reprogrammed in less than a second using magnetic fields, activating different parts independently to change in shape and activate each tool or function. Early lab tests have found the materials are unlikely to harm living tissue.

Developed over seven years with support from NTU’s Start-up Grant, A*STAR and NHG Group, the robot could integrate imaging technologies and sensing systems in the future, the researchers said.

On how the robot will be commercialised, Prof Lum said: “In the near term, we aim to deploy our miniature robot for superficial treatments, such as ophthalmology and ear, nose and throat procedures.

“Over the longer term, our vision is to extend its applications to a broader range of organs such as the brain and heart, bringing minimally invasive solutions to complex surgical interventions.”

Commenting independently, Dr Leonard Yeo, a senior neurology consultant from National University Hospital, said the robot’s small size makes it vastly different from surgical robots currently in use.

“I can envision that they have the potential to replace many aspects of interventional radiological surgery and become a new mode of therapy in medicine,” he said.