This tentacle-like robot is able to slip through the lungs and fight cancer

In the magazine Soft Robotics a publication related to the latest work of a team of scientists from the University of Leeds appeared. The result is a tentacle-like robot that can be inserted directly into the lungs to investigate suspicious changes or administer drugs directly to specific cells, a much more effective treatment method.

Scientists predict that this tentacle-like robot could significantly ease the lung healing process

The main purpose of this robot is to extend the reach of the bronchoscope, a tube-like medical instrument used to examine the lungs and airways. It is not pleasant, because during the procedure, doctors introduce it through the nose and mouth into the bronchi, and then send a smaller, 2-mm-long catheter through its interior, down to the depths of the respiratory tract.

This is not an ideal method, as it has its problems, which the tentacle-like robot solves thanks to its cylindrical segments made of soft elastomer filled with tiny magnetic particles. Thanks to them, the magnetic field can be used to precisely control the entire robot, which makes it very flexible and can follow the intricate paths inside the lungs.

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Above you can see how it works in practice, but do not think that soon such procedures will be performed on patients. The technology still needs to be refined and properly certified, but still has great hopes, because it is said to allow for more reliable and safe diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer.