Effects of Helix Geometry on Magnetic Guiding of Helical Polymer Composites on a Gastric Cancer Model: A Feasibility Study

• Published in: Materials Vol. 13; no. 4; p. 1014
• Main Authors: Kim, Yongju, Park, Jeong Eun, Wie, Jeong Jae, Yang, Su Geun, Lee, Don Haeng, Jin, Young-Joo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 24.02.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Cancer; Composite materials; Diameters; Feasibility studies; Flat surfaces; Flux density; Gastric cancer; geometric parameters; Geometry; helical soft robots; magnetic composites; Magnetic flux; magnetic flux density; Medical equipment; Medical screening; Motility; Polydimethylsiloxane; Polymer matrix composites; Polymerization; Polymers; Reynolds number; Robots; Stomach; Three dimensional models; Weight; United States > US; gastric cancer; magnetic composites; geometric parameters; helical soft robots; magnetic flux density
• ISSN: 1996-1944; 1996-1944
• DOI: 10.3390/ma13041014

This study investigates the effects of soft-robot geometry on magnetic guiding to develop an efficient helical mediator on a three-dimensional (3D) gastric cancer model. Four different magnetically active helical soft robots are synthesized by the inclusion of 5-μm iron particles in polydimethylsiloxane matrices. The soft robots are named based on the diameter and length (D2-L15, D5-L20, D5-L25, and D5-L35) with samples having varied helical pitch and weight values. Then, the four samples are tested on a flat surface as well as a stomach model with various 3D wrinkles. We analyze the underlying physics of intermittent magnetomotility for the helix on a flat surface. In addition, we extract representative failure cases of magnetomotility on the stomach model. The D5-L25 sample was the most suitable among the four samples for a helical soft robot that can be moved to a target lesion by the magnetic-flux density of the stomach model. The effects of diameter, length, pitch, and weight of a helical soft robot on magnetomotility are discussed in order for the robot to reach the target lesion successfully via magnetomotility.