Anisotropic Surface Microrollers for Endovascular Navigation: A Computational Analysis with a Case Study in Hepatic Perfusion

Abstract Magnetic surface microrollers have demonstrated promise as active drug delivery agents for targeted and minimally invasive disease treatment. Specifically, it can be employed in the circulatory system to locally release therapeutic agents at disease sites, minimizing systemic exposure and reducing side effects, particularly in the treatment of diseases like cancer. Previous research indicates that the design and shape of microrollers play a crucial role in safe navigation within blood vessels, with anisotropic microrollers exhibiting superiority due to favorable hydrodynamic interactions with nearby boundaries. In this study, the navigation potential of anisotropic microrollers is investigated in veins, venules, and capillaries through computational fluid dynamics analyses. These results indicate that robust locomotion is only achievable in larger vessels, such as veins. Subsequently, their performance is explored in a clinically relevant scenario – the hepatic circulation toward treating primary liver cancer or metastatic nodes of distant tumors (e.g., pancreatic cancer). Computational fluid dynamics analyses using the data from five different patients demonstrate that robust navigation can be achieved with high actuation frequencies. Overall, the findings presented in this study lay a preliminary foundation for the potential future application of surface microrollers in vivo.