Effects of helix geometry on magnetic guiding of helical polymer composites on a gastric cancer model: A feasibility study

Abstract

This study investigates the effects of soft-robot geometry on magnetic guiding to develop an efficient helical mediator on a three-dimensional (3D) gastric cancer model. Four different magnetically active helical soft robots are synthesized by the inclusion of 5-μm iron particles in polydimethylsiloxane matrices. The soft robots are named based on the diameter and length (D2-L15, D5-L20, D5-L25, and D5-L35) with samples having varied helical pitch and weight values. Then, the four samples are tested on a flat surface as well as a stomach model with various 3D wrinkles. We analyze the underlying physics of intermittent magnetomotility for the helix on a flat surface. In addition, we extract representative failure cases of magnetomotility on the stomach model. The D5-L25 sample was the most suitable among the four samples for a helical soft robot that can be moved to a target lesion by the magnetic-flux density of the stomach model. The effects of diameter, length, pitch, and weight of a helical soft robot on magnetomotility are discussed in order for the robot to reach the target lesion successfully via magnetomotility.