Technion Develops World's Smallest Medical Robot

Main Category: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 12 Jul 2007 - 1:00 PDT

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Israeli scientists at the Technion - Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa have created a tiny robot which can enter a patient's bloodstream and deliver medical treatment.

The world's smallest robot, with a diameter of one millimetre, was created by Oded Solomon of the mechanical engineering department at the Technion, who teamed up with Dr. Nir Schwalb of the Judea and Samaria College in Ariel.

The robot has the unique ability to "crawl" through the inner walls of blood vessels using tiny arms which allows it to withstand blood pressure in order to progress through veins and arteries. The robot is powered by an external magnetic field allowing it to be controlled for an unlimited amount of time during medical procedures.

Although in its beginning stages, possible application could be used for brachytherapy (short distance radiation therapy) which is commonly used to treat prostate cancer and cancers of the head and neck.

Technion Professor Moshe Shaham, a member of the research team, has already developed a robot for the Mazor Company that is used for performing spinal surgery in many hospitals around the world.

Oded Solomon commented "This accomplishment of miniaturisation is without precedent, as is the ability to control the robot's activity for unlimited periods of time, for any medical procedure. We hope this discovery can be used to improve the quality of care for diseases and many other conditions".

Technion - Israel Institute of Technology

The Technion-Israel Institute of Technology is Israel's leading science and technology university. Home to the country's first winners of the Nobel Prize in science, it commands a worldwide reputation for its pioneering work in nanotechnology, computer science, biotechnology and medicine.

The University's faculties include physical sciences, engineering and it boasts one of the top medical schools in the world. Due to the ingenuity of Technion alumni, Israel is now home to the greatest concentration of high-tech start up companies anywhere outside of the Silicon Valley. Such is the strength of the Technion's academia that 74% of managers in Israel's electronic industries hold Technion degrees.

The oldest university in Israel has in recent years pioneered advances in many fields. This includes discoveries made in developing the most advanced drug to treat Parkinson's disease and apparatus that improves walking for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients - and the Technion has one of the only graduate programmes to design, build, and launch satellites. Many breakthrough genetic discoveries have been made at the Technion including creating new heart muscle with its own blood supply using human embryonic stem cells.

The Technion University also has a range of outreach programs that promote science and technology to young people. The exciting programme engages gifted youngsters from across the world whilst helping to bridge socio-economic gaps within Israel's society via education.

http://www.britishtechnionsociety.org

http://www.technion.ac.il

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