Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) require tools that can safely navigate tortuous anatomy and perform targeted interventions with minimal tissue trauma. Magnetic actuation offers unique advantages, including wireless energy transfer, deep tissue penetration, and precise control of force and torque. Magnetically actuated continuum robots (mCRs) combine a flexible body with differentially magnetized actuation, enabling steering and stiffness adjustment under uniform or gradient magnetic fields. Advances in magnetic field generation technologies, such as electromagnetic coil arrays, permanent magnet manipulators, and hybrid devices, have improved workspace coverage, actuation strength, and real-time controllability. These devices have been demonstrated for vascular navigation, bronchial intervention, drug delivery, and biopsy, and their performance has been evaluated in terms of steering accuracy, responsiveness, and tissue safety. Untethered magnetic microrobots (MMRs), including spiral swimmers, surface-walking robots, and microrobot swarms, utilize rotating magnetic fields, gradient, or oscillatory actuation for propulsion, cargo delivery, and targeted therapy. Integration with ultrasound, photoacoustic, and magnetic resonance imaging enables precise in vivo tracking. Based on this background, my research developed a programmable magnetic microcatheter for controlled navigation and stiffness control, and integrated it with a spiral micromotor for localized embryo release. This cross-scale robotic platform demonstrated hierarchical navigation and targeted intervention, representing a step towards the next generation of in vivo imaging-guided minimally invasive treatments.
Zhi Chen received a master's degree from Southern University of Science and Technology in China, mainly engaged in the fabrication of achiral microrobots, their kinematics research in non-Newtonian fluids and further medical applications (stem cell transport and construction of 3D cell culture structures). Zhi Chen joined Prof. Gianaurelio Cuniberti’s chair in 2023 summer, and his doctoral project will focus on small intelligent microsystems for medical applications.
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and assisted reproductive technology (ART) require tools that can safely navigate tortuous anatomy and perform targeted interventions with minimal tissue trauma. Magnetic actuation offers unique advantages, including wireless energy transfer, deep tissue penetration, and precise control of force and torque. Magnetically actuated continuum robots (mCRs) combine a flexible body with differentially magnetized actuation, enabling steering and stiffness adjustment under uniform or gradient magnetic fields. Advances in magnetic field generation technologies, such as electromagnetic coil arrays, permanent magnet manipulators, and hybrid devices, have improved workspace coverage, actuation strength, and real-time controllability. These devices have been demonstrated for vascular navigation, bronchial intervention, drug delivery, and biopsy, and their performance has been evaluated in terms of steering accuracy, responsiveness, and tissue safety. Untethered magnetic microrobots (MMRs), including spiral swimmers, surface-walking robots, and microrobot swarms, utilize rotating magnetic fields, gradient, or oscillatory actuation for propulsion, cargo delivery, and targeted therapy. Integration with ultrasound, photoacoustic, and magnetic resonance imaging enables precise in vivo tracking. Based on this background, my research developed a programmable magnetic microcatheter for controlled navigation and stiffness control, and integrated it with a spiral micromotor for localized embryo release. This cross-scale robotic platform demonstrated hierarchical navigation and targeted intervention, representing a step towards the next generation of in vivo imaging-guided minimally invasive treatments.
Zhi Chen received a master's degree from Southern University of Science and Technology in China, mainly engaged in the fabrication of achiral microrobots, their kinematics research in non-Newtonian fluids and further medical applications (stem cell transport and construction of 3D cell culture structures). Zhi Chen joined Prof. Gianaurelio Cuniberti’s chair in 2023 summer, and his doctoral project will focus on small intelligent microsystems for medical applications.
