Magnetically Guided Microcatheter for Targeted Injection of Magnetic Particle Swarms
The initial delivery of small-scale magnetic devices such as microrobots is a key, but often overlooked, aspect for their use in clinical applications. The deployment of these devices within the dynamic environment of the human body presents significant challenges due to their dispersion caused by circulatory flows. Here, a method is introduced to effectively deliver a swarm of magnetic nanoparticles in fluidic flows. This approach integrates a magnetically navigated robotic microcatheter equipped with a reservoir for storing the magnetic nanoparticles. The microfluidic flow within the reservoir facilitates the injection of magnetic nanoparticles into the fluid stream, and a magnetic field gradient guides the swarm through the oscillatory flow to a target site. The microcatheter and reservoir are engineered to enable magnetic steering and injection of the magnetic nanoparticles. To demonstrate this approach, experiments are conducted utilizing a spinal cord phantom simulating intrathecal catheter delivery for applications in the central nervous system. These results demonstrate that the proposed microcatheter successfully concentrates nanoparticles near the desired location through the precise manipulation of magnetic field gradients, offering a promising solution for the controlled deployment of untethered magnetic micro-/nanodevices within the complex physiological circulatory systems of the human body.
Authors
- Bradley J. Nelson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9070-6987)
- Michael Mattmann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6365-6336)
- Salvador Pané (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0147-8287)
- María Florencia Pinto
- Harun Torlakcik (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6084-5852)
- Xiangzhong Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2294-7487)
- Quentin Boehler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7573-3135)
- Andreas D. Flouris (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9823-3915)
- Josep Puigmartí‐Luis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7510-9815)
- Fabian C. Landers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6935-9391)
- Semih Sevim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1461-1606)
- Tiago Sotto Mayor (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8779-1033)
- Min‐Soo Kim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3478-1277)
- Joaquim Llacer‐Wintle
- Pedro Alves
- Rosa Moreira (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6758-9203)
Institutions
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ES)
- University of Thessaly (GR)
- Universidade do Porto (PT)
- Fudan University (CN)
- ETH Zurich (CH)
- Yiwu Science and Technology Research Institute (CN)
- Universitat de Barcelona (ES)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Published
- 2024-08-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202404061
- Citations
- 17
- Primary Topic
- Micro and Nano Robotics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 5.28
Funders
- National Science Foundation
- European Commission
- Branco Weiss Fellowship – Society in Science
- Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
- Generalitat de Catalunya
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich
- Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior
- European Research Council
- Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
- Agencia Estatal de Investigación
- H2020 European Research Council
- H2020 Future and Emerging Technologies