The gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a crucial role in keeping us healthy.
It includes organs like the mouth, esophagus, stomach, intestines, and rectum, and it helps digest food, absorb nutrients, and remove waste.
However, in recent years, there has been a sharp rise in conditions affecting this system, especially GI cancers.
To find and treat these problems, doctors usually use a tool called an endoscope—a flexible tube with a camera that is inserted into the body. While useful, endoscopies are often uncomfortable for patients and cannot always reach deep or awkward areas of the digestive system.
This challenge has led some scientists and engineers to search for better, less invasive ways to explore the GI tract.
A team at the University of Macau in China has come up with an exciting new solution: tiny soft robots that can move through the digestive system and deliver medicine directly to the areas that need it. Their work was published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing.
These soft robots are made from bendable, flexible materials that are safer and more comfortable for the body than traditional rigid tools. What makes them even more interesting is that they were inspired by a spider—specifically, the golden wheel spider.
This spider is known for its ability to move in a special rolling motion that helps it travel across tough terrain. The researchers used this idea to design their robots to move in similar ways, making it easier for them to navigate the complex pathways of the GI tract.
The robots can be controlled by a magnetic field from outside the body. This means they don’t need motors or batteries inside them, which makes them smaller and less invasive. Thanks to their design, they can climb surfaces at any angle—even over mucus or folds inside the body—and can handle height changes of up to 8 centimeters.
In their first tests, the scientists used parts of animal GI tracts to see how well the robots could move and deliver medicine. The tests showed that the robots successfully reached their targets without harming any tissue. They were also used alongside an endoscope to provide real-time video so the doctors could see exactly where the robots were going.
According to the researchers, these successful experiments mark a big step forward in using soft robots for medical treatments. Because they can move with such precision, the robots may eventually be used for minimally invasive treatments of GI cancers, possibly replacing or supporting traditional endoscopy.
Next, the team hopes to test the robots in live animals. If those trials go well and the robots prove to be safe, they may move on to testing in human patients. If successful, this could lead to new, less painful ways to treat GI problems and deliver medications exactly where they are needed.
This work highlights the amazing possibilities of using bio-inspired designs and soft robotics in medicine. By looking at how nature solves problems, scientists are finding creative new ways to improve human health with technology.
If you care about gut health, please read studies that your gut can help lower your blood pressure: here’s how and from shock to awe: a zap in the gut could be the new insulin for people with diabetes.
For more about gut health, please read studies about a surprising link between gut health and eye disease risk and Gut troubles could signal future Parkinson’s disease.
The study is published in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing.
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