Micro-bubbles Assist With Biomedical Applications

A team of German researchers have developed a way to incorporate micro bubbles to power micro robots for biomedical procedures. While magnetic fields are less complex for operating small robots wirelessly, they do not provide the selectivity needed for medical applications. All actuators under the same magnetic field operate under the same motion. By applying ultrasounds at different frequencies, several actuators can be addressed. The approach is scalable to millimeter size.

Usually a material such as a magnetic is required for an actuator. The team used a standard polymer to trap air bubbles and use the interface of the bubbles to convert the interface to mechanical motion. A surface of 30-120 micrometers with topological pattering can provide forces using ultrasounds. Thousands of bubbles together have the ability to to push a device at a millimeter scale.

Researchers have already started to develop the actuator further. By increasing the propulsive force of the surface, to insert the actuator into a medical device and test it in a biomedical environment. The surfaces could serve as wireless actuators operating mini medical devices for applications. This opens promising new possibilities for developing devices for fluidic environments. These environments are accessible by low ultrasound fields.

Source: American Institute of Physics (AIP). "Micro-bubbles make big impact." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 22 November 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161122111014.htm>.