Shapeshifting Microrobots Can Brush and Floss Teeth
hubie writes:
A shapeshifting robotic microswarm may one day act as a toothbrush, rinse, and dental floss in one:
The technology, developed by a multidisciplinary team at the University of Pennsylvania, is poised to offer a new and automated way to perform the mundane but critical daily tasks of brushing and flossing. It's a system that could be particularly valuable for those who lack the manual dexterity to clean their teeth effectively themselves.
The building blocks of these microrobots are iron oxide nanoparticles that have both catalytic and magnetic activity. Using a magnetic field, researchers could direct their motion and configuration to form either bristlelike structures that sweep away dental plaque from the broad surfaces of teeth, or elongated strings that can slip between teeth like a length of floss. In both instances, a catalytic reaction drives the nanoparticles to produce antimicrobials that kill harmful oral bacteria on site.
[...] "Nanoparticles can be shaped and controlled with magnetic fields in surprising ways," says Edward Steager, a senior research investigator in Penn's School of Engineering and Applied Science and co-corresponding author. "We form bristles that can extend, sweep, and even transfer back and forth across a space, much like flossing. The way it works is similar to how a robotic arm might reach out and clean a surface. The system can be programmed to do the nanoparticle assembly and motion control automatically."
[...] "It doesn't matter if you have straight teeth or misaligned teeth, it will adapt to different surfaces," says Koo. "The system can adjust to all the nooks and crannies in the oral cavity."
[...] Indeed, the system is fully programmable; the team's roboticists and engineers used variations in the magnetic field to precisely tune the motions of the microrobots as well as control bristle stiffness and length. The researchers found that the tips of the bristles could be made firm enough to remove biofilms but soft enough to avoid damage to the gums.
Would you consider an iron oxide nanoparticle moving in an external magnetic field a "microrobot"?
Journal Reference:
Min Jun Oh, Alaa Babeer, Yuan Liu, et al., Surface Topography-Adaptive Robotic Superstructures for Biofilm Removal and Pathogen Detection on Human Teeth [open], ACS Nano, 2022. DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c01950
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