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Robot Invented To Crawl Through Veins

Posted by timothy on from the oh-no-not-creepy dept.

Slatterz writes "Scientists from Israel's Technion University have unveiled a tiny robot, made using Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, purportedly able to crawl through a person's veins in order to diagnose and potentially treat artery blockage and cancer. The little robot — with a diameter of just one millimeter — has neither engine nor onboard controls, instead being propelled forward by a magnetic field wielded on it from outside the patient's body."

23 of 99 comments (clear)

  1. Robotic aneurysm by 4D6963 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I for one welcome our miniature robotic clots!

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    You just got troll'd!
    1. Re:Robotic aneurysm by interkin3tic · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not offtopic. The blurb article mentions only that it would be magnetically controlled. Maybe that's their entire plan for keeping it from clogging the tubes (blood, not the internet). It very much seems like it could cause aneurysms, clots, strokes, heart attacks, and whatever it was Tony Stark had in the recent Iron Man movie.

      I am not a doctor, nor do I play one in comic books.

    2. Re:Robotic aneurysm by JordanL · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Anyone remember "Inner Space"?

      Heh... couldn't help but think of that movie while reading.

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      FanFictionRecs.net
    3. Re:Robotic aneurysm by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Fantastic Voyage
      Both of them.

    4. Re:Robotic aneurysm by Nutria · · Score: 5, Funny

      Fantastic Voyage

      Who could forget Raquel Welch???

      Both of them.

      They were both very beautiful.

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      "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  2. Definition Of A Robot by nick_davison · · Score: 4, Funny

    has neither engine nor onboard controls

    Doesn't a robot traditionally have to have some form of self controlled motion? From the description, this is just a human etch-a-sketch.

    For what it's worth, I've also created the robotic sport of the future. It consists of a round, air filled bladder. This robot has no motor control of its own but it can be moved by applying forces with your foot. I intend to patent this and make a fortune. No one will play regular soccer once they can play robo-soccer.

  3. We are the Borg... by plasmidmap · · Score: 3, Funny

    Resistance is futile.

  4. Arteries and Veins by PleaseFearMe · · Score: 3, Interesting

    The summary confused me, so I looked it up, and it is true. Veins bring blood towards the heart. Arteries bring blood away from the heart. I always thought blood flows pretty fast, so the robot would need quite a bit of magnetic force to go against the blood friction. If it finds a clot, can it ram its way through like a battering ram? That would be cool.

    1. Re:Arteries and Veins by jamesh · · Score: 2, Funny

      If it finds a clot, can it ram its way through like a battering ram? That would be cool.

      You know what would be cooler? Tiny little sharks with tiny little fricken lasers.

  5. How is that helpful? by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 3, Insightful

    How does a robot moving though one's vein "diagnose and potentially treat artery blockage"? Wouldn't it need to be traveling though the arteries to do that?

    1. Re:How is that helpful? by Ian+Alexander · · Score: 2, Informative

      Since arteries feed into veins I suppose an arterial blockage could cause problems in veins. But I think it's just a bad summary and when the author wrote "veins" they probably meant vessels in general.

  6. somewhat better story links by denttford · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/875277.html http://t3.technion.ac.il/more_details.php?id=76

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    Leben Sie jetzt die Fragen.
  7. Zomg it's... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    the magic school bus!

  8. All the fun of Meth... by MBCook · · Score: 2, Funny

    All the fun of meth with none of the side effects! Great!

    no... wait...

    It's the other way around.

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    Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
    1. Re:All the fun of Meth... by TubeSteak · · Score: 2, Funny

      All the fun of meth with none of the side effects! Great!
      no... wait...
      It's the other way around.

      All the fun of side effects with none of the meth?
      That sounds terrible!

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      [Fuck Beta]
      o0t!
  9. Re:And the first test subject will be... by Nutria · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Palestinians to do inhuman test on, it goes with the inhuman concentration camps they're in.

    These "camps" you speak of look a hell of a lot like cities.

    http://community.webshots.com/photo/fullsize/2892931020089791706gjXfOM

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    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  10. Wonder what new procedures will be possible by ShooterNeo · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Interventional cardiologists and other physician specialties already use a veritable swiss army knife of tools on catheter tips. You already can feed all sorts of balloons and stents and scrapers and other tools into the body by pushing them into place with a catheter. This "robot" is moved around with a magnetic field rather than a plastic filament.

    I wonder what new techniques and procedures this will make possible...and if the incremental improvement in outcomes will actually extend lifespans any...

  11. oh what fun by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 4, Funny

    They do something wrong with the magnetic field for a second, lose track of it, it gets carried to your brain and you stroke.

    Not realistic? Well, when you've had a catheter yanked out of you without having had the balloon deflated first like I once did because the nurse fucked up, you'll learn to expect these things. A golf-ball sized object pulled through your urethra tends to leave a memory.

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    This space available.
    1. Re:oh what fun by Jafafa+Hots · · Score: 4, Funny

      lemme tell ya, I wasn't the same for a few weeks. She grabbed my dick in one hand, tried to pull the tube and when it wouldn't come, she wrapped the tube around her wrist and pulled harder.

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      This space available.
  12. Anyone ever heard of Sterotaxis? by vrmlguy · · Score: 2, Interesting

    So how is this different from this? Oh, yeah, there's no way to retrieve the robot if it gets stuck.

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    Nothing for 6-digit uids?
  13. Malfunctions? by srothroc · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I hope it doesn't malfunction and get stuck or something. All you need in that situation is a nice mechanical clot...

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    http://www.tenjou.net/
  14. Re:I predict that ... by interkin3tic · · Score: 3, Funny

    They can't patent it because there's prior artery.

    I think I pulled a muscle on that reach...

  15. Sweet by KWarp · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Israel invents some pretty incredible stuff.