Park Jihyeok, Kim Youngkwang, Jeong Jinwon, Jang Deasung, Kim Daegeun, Chung Sangkug
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Myongji University, Yongin 17058, Republic of Korea.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Baylor University, Waco, TX 76706, USA.
Micromachines (Basel). 2023 Nov 29;14(12):2169. doi: 10.3390/mi14122169.
This paper proposes an acoustic bubble and magnetic actuation-based microrobot for enhancing multiphase drug delivery efficiency. The proposed device can encapsulate multiphase drugs, including liquids, using the two bubbles embedded within the microtube. Additionally, using the magnetic actuation of the loaded magnetic liquid metal, it can deliver drugs to target cells. This study visualized the flow patterns generated by the oscillating bubble within the tube to validate the drug release principle. In addition, to investigate the effect of the oscillation properties of the inner bubble on drug release, the oscillation amplitude of the inner bubble was measured under various experimental variables using a high-speed camera. Subsequently, we designed a microrobot capable of encapsulating bubbles, drugs, and magnetic liquid metal and fabricated it using microfabrication technology based on ultra-precision 3D printing. As a proof of concept, we demonstrated the transport and drug release of the microrobot encapsulating the drug in a Y-shaped channel simulating a blood vessel. The proposed device is anticipated to enhance the efficiency of drug therapy by minimizing drug side effects, reducing drug administration frequency, and improving the stability of the drug within the body. This paper is expected to be applicable not only to targeted drug delivery but also to various biomedical fields, such as minimally invasive surgery and cell manipulation, by effectively delivering multiphase drugs using the simple structure of a microrobot.
本文提出了一种基于声泡和磁驱动的微型机器人，用于提高多相药物递送效率。所提出的装置可以利用嵌入微管内的两个气泡来封装包括液体在内的多相药物。此外，通过对负载的磁性液态金属进行磁驱动，它可以将药物递送至靶细胞。本研究可视化了管内振荡气泡产生的流动模式，以验证药物释放原理。此外，为了研究内部气泡的振荡特性对药物释放的影响，使用高速相机在各种实验变量下测量了内部气泡的振荡幅度。随后，我们设计了一种能够封装气泡、药物和磁性液态金属的微型机器人，并采用基于超精密3D打印的微加工技术制造了它。作为概念验证，我们在模拟血管的Y形通道中展示了封装药物的微型机器人的运输和药物释放。预计所提出的装置通过最小化药物副作用、降低给药频率以及提高药物在体内的稳定性来提高药物治疗效率。本文不仅有望应用于靶向药物递送，还通过利用微型机器人的简单结构有效递送多相药物，应用于各种生物医学领域，如微创手术和细胞操作。
