Microrobots for hyperthermia therapy and drug delivery

Microrobots for Hyperthermia Therapy and Drug Delivery

This technology features a control mechanism that generates heat through the Neel relaxation of magnetic materials when an external magnetic field is applied. It induces a phase change in a microrobot base made of temperature-sensitive materials, allowing for the targeted release of encapsulated therapeutic agents.

Conventional magnetic nanoparticle methods suffer from low therapeutic efficiency due to loss within blood vessels before reaching the target, and they can cause side effects by generating heat in unintended areas.

This technology utilizes a structural device composed of a first base with a non-melting scaffold structure and a second base that melts at a specific temperature. By controlling the frequency of an external magnetic field, the base is heated and melted, releasing the therapeutic agent through the voids in the scaffold structure. Applicable to industrial robots and automated systems, this approach prevents the loss of magnetic nanoparticles and controls drug release, thereby improving hyperthermia efficiency and minimizing side effects.

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Key Features:

• A microrobot base containing magnetic materials that generate heat up to a preset temperature when exposed to an external magnetic field.
• A first microrobot base that maintains a scaffold structure without melting at the preset temperature.
• A second microrobot base that melts at the preset temperature to fill the scaffold structure.
• A structure where the therapeutic agent enclosed in the first base is released through the voids of the scaffold once the second base melts.

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for the development of a microrobotic medical system for the treatment of chronic total occlusion in myocardial infarction.