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2023 Hamlyn Symposium

Jul 17, 2023
3 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

A Hamlyn Symposium workshop on untethered micro- and nanorobotics for healthcare, covering actuation, navigation, control and AI-assisted analysis. Includes the programme, learning outcomes and organising team.

Untethered micro and nano robotics for healthcare applications

Introduction

This workshop will focus on the current challenges and developments in the field of untethered micro/nano robotics for healthcare applications, with a particular emphasis on the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) in these systems. The use of untethered devices in medical applications has the potential to revolutionize the way we diagnose and treat various conditions, but significant challenges remain in areas such as navigation, control, and integration with AI/ML.

The workshop will bring together leading researchers, engineers, and clinicians to discuss the current state-of-the-art in untethered micro/nano robotics and explore new fabrication techniques, novel materials, and innovative methods for visualizing and controlling these devices. Attendees will learn about various techniques and applications of untethered micro/nano robots, including those using magnetic fields, chemical gradients, and light illumination for actuation and control. The workshop will also explore the potential benefits and challenges of deploying these devices in vivo, with a focus on the use of AI/ML to improve navigation, control, and diagnostic capabilities.

In addition, the workshop will also focus on the next application for micro/nano robotics in healthcare, which is the diagnostic. There will be talks and discussions on how these devices can be used to improve diagnostic methods and enable early detection of diseases. The use of AI/ML techniques to process data collected by these devices will also be discussed. Throughout the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to network with leading researchers in the field, learn about the latest developments in untethered micro/nano robotics, and gain insights into the current challenges and future directions of this field. The workshop will provide a comprehensive overview of the field and will be of interest to researchers, engineers, clinicians, and anyone interested in the application of untethered micro/nano robotics in healthcare.

Programme

08:30 Registration & Coffee

09:00 Opening: Welcome & Introduction

09:05 Microrobotics for clinical translation: bottlenecks and potentials

09:35 CELLOIDS: towards cell-inspired autonomous microrobots

10:05 Magnetic particle imaging based targeted therapy of brain disorders

10:30 Coffee Break

11:00 Swarm Engineering Across Scales

11:30 Imaging and control of medical microrobots

12:00 Magnetic microrobot individual and collective steering

12:30 Lunch Break

13:30 Actuating and Tracking Magnetic Robots in the Gut

14:00 Ultrasound-powered microrobots towards localized drug delivery

14:30 Harnessing acoustic forces and hydrodynamics to actuate biomedical microdevices

15:00 Coffee Break

15:30 Fillable Microrobotic Systems for Targeted Drug Delivery

Rujie Sun

16:00 Wireless Microrobots and Micromachines: Ultrasound Technology

16:30 Swarms of chemical nanomotors for cancer treatment: the case of bladder cancer

16:55 Closing Remarks

Learning Outcomes

  • A comprehensive understanding of the current state-of-the-art in untethered micro/nano robotics for healthcare applications, including techniques and applications using magnetic fields, chemical gradients, and light illumination for actuation and control.

  • An understanding of the challenges and limitations of deploying untethered micro/nano robots in vivo, with a focus on navigation, control, and integration with AI/ML.

  • Knowledge of new fabrication techniques, novel materials, and innovative methods for visualizing and controlling untethered micro/nano robots in healthcare.

  • Insights into the potential benefits and challenges of using micro/nano robots for diagnostic purpose, including the use of AI/ML techniques to process data collected by these devices.

  • Exposure to the latest research and developments in the field through invited talks and presentations by leading researchers and practitioners.

  • Opportunities to network with and learn from other researchers, engineers, clinicians, and practitioners working in the field of untethered micro/nano robotics for healthcare applications

  • A better understanding of the future direction and potential of untethered micro/nano robotics in healthcare.

  • The ability to think critically about the challenges of developing and deploying untethered micro/nano robots in healthcare and develop solutions to overcome those challenges.

Organisers

Dr. Meysam Keshavarz, Imperial College London Prof. Simone Schürle, ETH Zurich Dr. Dandan Zhang, Bristol University

FULL DAY WORKSHOP



Conceptual illustrations


The illustrations below were generated with AI. They are conceptual and do not document actual people, events or experimental results.


AI-generated conceptual illustration. A magnifying circle reveals a tiny untethered microrobot moving through an abstract translucent curved channel, guided by gentle field lines; outside the circle are a microscope and a research notebook. Concept: actuation, navigation and control of micro- and nanorobotics for healthcare, clearly illustrative rather than clinical evidence.

Conceptual illustration generated with AI; it does not depict actual individuals, events or experimental results.


 
 
 

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