Design and control of in-vivo magnetic microrobots.

Abstract

This paper investigates fundamental design, modeling and control issues related to untethered biomedical microrobots guided inside the human body through external magnetic fields. Immediate application areas for these microrobots include cardiovascular, intraocular and inner-ear diagnosis and surgery. A prototype microrobot and steering system are introduced. Experimental results on fluid drag and magnetization properties of the robots are presented along with an analysis of required magnetic fields for application inside blood vessels and vitreous humor.