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A Wireless Microrobot for Deep Brain Navigation at the Human Head Scale

Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Deep-brain interventions for neurological disorders—including biopsies, localized therapies, and neuromodulation—are fundamentally constrained by rigid, linear tools that limit manoeuvrability and increase tissue trauma. Here, we present BrainBot, a wireless magnetic microrobot capable of sustained, steerable propulsion through dense viscoelastic brain tissue at a human-head-relevant scale. BrainBot features a multithread helical geometry and thread-clearing microstructures that actively prevent tissue adhesion, enabling sustained, low-damage propulsion across an entire porcine brain and ex vivo human glioblastoma tissue. Using a magnetic navigation system with a 24 cm aperture, BrainBot achieves fluoroscopy-guided access to deep targets through dense brain parenchyma within an intact porcine head. Furthermore, we demonstrate precise tissue sampling for spatially resolved genomics, deployment of optical fibres and electrical microwires, and localized drug delivery followed by post-retrieval MRI payload visualization. BrainBot establishes a minimally invasive platform for deep-brain navigation, opening new avenues for precision neurosurgical interventions.
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-11230753/v1
Authors: Tian Qiu, Meng Zhang, Jyothi Mariyanna, Moonkwang Jeong, Andre Sagerer, Jiyuan Tian, Yue Gao, Rudi Apolle, Haoying Wang, Ann-Sophia Müller, Liyuan Tan, Rayan Younis, Martin Wagner, Tirosh Mekler, Netanel Korin, Konstantin Morozov, Alexander Leshansky, Tareq Juratli
Language: English
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7225651325
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