Exposure during the week of Biomed Israel 2009: A millimeter-sized reptilian robot capable of moving inside the body will fight lung cancer

A tiny crawling robot (ViRob) with a diameter of one millimeter, will be able to move around the body cavities, hold on to the target area with the help of arms, and perform medical operations

A robot, the entire size of which is 4 x 1 1 mm, is currently being developed in the laboratory of Prof. Moshe, who is from the Technion's robotics department in Haifa, in collaboration with Oded Salomon and Dr. Nir Shvalev from Ariel. It moves through an external electromagnetic power transmission system, which vibrates the robot which allows him to move in different spaces and surfaces. One of the possible uses for this technology is the performance of minimally invasive medical operations.

The robot will be presented to the public for the first time at the exhibition adjacent to the week at Yomed Israel 2009, which will be held between June 15 and 17, in Tel Aviv.

According to the planners, the ViRob can navigate and crawl inside different spaces in the human body, such as blood vessels, the digestive system, the respiratory system, etc. The robot has a central body that serves as a starting point for tiny arms that cling to the sides of the body in which it moves. The structure of the robot allows it to move in spaces with variable diameters, as well as to pass through winding passages and even to stop and stay at a certain point for a desired period of time. At this stage, an initial prototype of the ViRob is being developed, which is able to move in spaces with different diameters at a speed of up to 9 mm per second.

One of the target markets being examined at this stage is the treatment of lung cancer - currently the deadliest cancer in the world. The ViRob will assist in targeted drug treatment (Targeted Drug Delivery) in lung tumors and will also be able to take samples from different parts of the body. Several tiny robots will be able to simultaneously treat several lesions. If necessary in the future it will be possible to mount additional equipment on it such as: a camera, tiny forceps and additional miniature equipment.

These days, the business development unit at the Technion is in the stages of establishing a company and in the process of negotiations for the commercialization of technology in medical fields with the entrepreneurs, Dr. Kobi Einbar and Nir Levy.