The medical sector has been one of the most important sectors present in all science fiction films that have depicted the future of human civilisation, from rapid healing mechanisms to regrowing and reconnecting severed limbs and possibly enhancing human capabilities through embedded robotic parts.
Despite this strong presence in the minds of innovators, the medical sector has suffered from slow development on the ground, and most of the development has been limited to machines to enhance the diagnostic capabilities of doctors, and even the role of artificial intelligence has been limited to assisting and analyzing patient data without providing a real diagnosis.
At the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Dr. Hyun (Michel) Ko and Edward Steger led research on some technical applications in the dental sector in particular, the most prominent of which was the technology of microbots that handle and operate as an integrated dental cleaning crew, in An attempt by them to reduce the risks of dental contamination and subsequent damage. Despite the simplicity of the idea, it opens the door to a new dawn in the dental sector in particular.
Robots that can be eaten
These robots have a variety of functions that can be performed inside the human mouth, from the ability to clean teeth and remove stuck-on deposits to trimming and treating some minor dental diseases, thanks to a magnetic guidance device that allows you to control these robots to carry out pre-programmed commands on them. .
The magnetic guidance device is placed directed towards the place that needs treatment or cleaning, and then the robots begin directly to treat the problems they face, and carry out the commands previously directed to them, whether they are to clean the teeth or to treat prominent dental problems.
As for the method of introducing robots into the body, Kuo, who is responsible for the project, spoke in detail, pointing out that the secret lies in the manufacturing mechanism of these robots, as they consist of a group of very fine particles made of iron oxide compounds, a substance widely used in food and licensed by the Saudi Medicines Authority. And the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), so the patient eats these tiny particles that combine together to form microrobots.
Kuo added that they are working on other ways and options for these robots to be used, starting with combining them with a special toothpaste that uses a special toothbrush. In this case, the robots are directed through a mouthguard-like device that includes magnets that guide the robots directly to the target.
The secret is in iron oxide compounds
Scientists were able to achieve these microrobots thanks to the unique properties of iron oxide compounds, starting with being catalytic compounds capable of generating antimicrobials that kill microbes between the teeth, as well as polishing the edges of the teeth.
As for the magnetic advantages that these compounds enjoy, they are what allow the construction of micro-robots and their guidance inside the mouth with ease, and because the robot consists of very fine particles, this allows it to adapt to the topography of the oral cavity and teeth and thus reach places that are difficult to reach using a toothbrush. The usual.
Great success in practical experiments
Scientific research will not be complete without experiments that enhance its results and prove its ability to solve specific challenges. According to experiments conducted by the research team at the University of Pennsylvania, this innovation has the ability to clean teeth and eliminate microbes by up to 80%.
The team relied on two types of experiments to strengthen its idea. First, the team printed a 3D structure that simulated the structure of human teeth with the surrounding tissue. The team used micro-robots to clean the pollution surrounding these teeth. Then they began to compare the results with another model in which usual sterilization methods were used.
The results showed that the robotic model reached 100% sterilization of microbes present in the structure. This means that the teeth became completely clean without any bacterial residue on them, which is superior to many dental cleaners and their chemical compounds.
In order to reinforce this result, the team conducted another test on animals, and in this test the robots were able to eliminate 80% of the microbes present. Although this difference may stem from the difference in the nature of the mouth and the structure of the teeth in humans and animals, the team is trying hard to improve these results. With the end of the animal testing phase approaching and the transition to human testing at the end of this year.
It is noteworthy that the process of manufacturing and programming these micro-robots is not very expensive, as their cost is close to the cost of an electric toothbrush, so the team expects wide public acceptance of them once they are launched, even though the cleaning period may reach 10 minutes in some cases, and this is one of the aspects that it is trying to achieve. The team solved it.
Various applications of technology
The team mainly seeks to apply its work directly to the teeth and clean them, and despite the simplicity of this endeavor, it provides many opportunities for those who suffer from motor challenges that prevent them from controlling the toothbrush smoothly, which reduces the rates of contamination and injuries that occur in their teeth.
In addition, this technology opens the doors to the world of micro-robots that can be controlled remotely, which can later be used to remove intestinal or even respiratory microbes. The technology may develop in a way that allows these robots to perform simple surgical operations and sterilize wounds in a way that completely prevents their contamination. .
Therefore, the limits of this technology are the sky, and its future uses cannot be confirmed until the end of field experiments on it, but it is a technology that may equal the discovery of “penicillin” in importance. Will we see micro-robots in the future replacing doctors in this regard?