Nowadays, getting a biopsy typically involves being sedated, having part of your body opened up, and the doctor searching for the necessary tissue. However, there is a new device that offers a different approach. This device, which is as small as a grain of sand, can guide a needle using a tiny sensor. As the needle moves, it maps out the internal organs, all while the patient and doctor observe the process on a video screen.
Researchers believe that this innovation could have implications beyond biopsies. It may be used to measure blood pressure and track how medications are metabolized in the body. According to Nako Nakatsuka, a chemist at ETH Zürich, the device is “really exciting” because it allows for maneuvering within the body with minimal disruption.
The device described in the study, which was published in Science, consists of two magnets. One magnet is fixed to a plastic casing, while the other magnet can twist and oscillate. By using electromagnetic coils to create a magnetic field, an external device can move the second magnet. In turn, the device collects readings, such as temperature and pressure, by measuring changes in this second magnet.
Montserrat Calleja Gómez, a physicist from the Institute of Micro and Nanotechnology in Madrid, who was not involved in the study, praises the smart and creative design of the sensor. The researchers conducted various experiments to test the device. For example, they attached the sensor to a bee’s back and successfully tracked the insect’s movements, even at high speeds. They also fitted the sensor to a biopsy needle and used it to navigate the needle to a target area in a gelatin blob, demonstrating its potential to guide medical instruments.
The researchers suggest that if the sensor is ingested, it could monitor real-time changes inside the body, such as responses to medications or gastrointestinal flare-ups. Additionally, Nakatsuka highlights the sensor’s ability to measure pressure, which could enable doctors to detect blood pressure changes within blood vessels. This could provide a more continuous and convenient method of monitoring blood pressure.
Calleja Gómez points out that the distance at which the coils can detect the sensor’s signal is a significant advancement. Previous wireless technologies could only detect signals up to 5 centimeters away, whereas this new device can be detected up to about 25 centimeters away. Expanding this distance could make it easier for patients to monitor their blood pressure at home.
The device is also cost-effective, with an estimated cost ranging from $1 to $100, depending on its duration of stay in the body. According to Bernhard Gleich, a physicist at Philips and co-author of the study, the device can be manufactured easily on a small scale. He mentions that besides the magnets, only a few simple materials are needed, such as plastic tubing, string, and adhesive.
However, Gleich predicts that it will still take 5 to 8 years before the device is used in humans for even the simplest applications. Further research is required to ensure that the sensors not only function properly but also do not cause harm to individuals. Trials will be necessary to verify that the device does not trigger an immune response or disrupt normal blood flow. Nonetheless, Nakatsuka believes that the possibilities are exciting, as this device has the potential to venture into unexplored territories.