A recent break through at Technion University have unveiled a tiny robot, made using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, purportedly able to crawl through a person’s veins in order to diagnose and potentially treat artery blockage and cancer. The robot which is bigger then a WBC or RBC but small enough to enter a vein or artery and can unblock or diagnose is of immense help.
How does it function? Does it have any control system in place either onboard or external? The robot neither has any control engine nor onboard mechanism, instead it is being propelled forward by a magnetic field wielded on it from outside the patient’s body.
But many important questions still remain unanswered.
- Has this robot reached human trails? (This looks production ready)
- What would be the cost of such a device? (Say will this reduce operation costs or increase them)
- Does this robot has a fail safe system in place if it goes haywire?
- Whether such diagnoses is being considered safe or is being authorized/approved by any medical administration board?
Today, we would safely conclude this truly looks futuristic, but we still are in early stages of such treatment development and have a long way ahead.
Tags: Research, Robotics, Technology