Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment: From bench to clinical trials

Qinglong Wang; Fangling Zhao; Ben Wang; Kai Fung Chan; Bonaventure Yiu Ming Ip; Thomas Wai Hong Leung; Xin Song; Li Zhang; Jue Xie

doi:10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100874

Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment: From bench to clinical trials

Qinglong Wang, Fangling Zhao, Ben Wang^*, Kai Fung Chan, Bonaventure Yiu Ming Ip, Thomas Wai Hong Leung, Xin Song^*, Li Zhang^*, Jue Xie^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Biomedical Engineering

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

Abstract

Untethered miniature robots (MRs) offer a minimally invasive way to address adverse vascular blockages, such as cerebrovascular thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism. This review explores three key questions: what are the design principles of MRs from both engineering and clinical perspectives? How can visible intervention of MRs in three-dimensional (3D) branched vessels be achieved? What is the clinical procedure for treating thrombus using designed MRs? Recent progress in MRs for thrombus removal is summarized, and, more importantly, the pros and cons of MRs are discussed. We also evaluate the challenges that may hinder their clinical deployment and propose future research directions, bridging the gap between the bench and the bedside. © 2025 The Author(s).

Original language	English
Article number	100874
Journal	Innovation(United States)
Online published	11 Mar 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100874
Publication status	Online published - 11 Mar 2025

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China with grant nos. 82172335, 81971994, and 91846103; the National Key R&D Program of China with grant no. 2023YFB4705600; the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) with project nos. STG1/E-401/23-N, RFS2122-4S03, R4015-21, C1134-20GF, 14300621, and 14301122; the National Natural Science Foundation of China with project no. 22102104; Shenzhen Medical Research Fund (SMRF) with grant no. A2303074; Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen Science and Technology Commission under grants RCBS20200714114920190 and JCYJ20220531103409021; and the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation with project no. 2021A1515010672. The authors are also grateful for the support from the Multi-scale Medical Robotics Centre (MRC), InnoHK, at the Hong Kong Science Park. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Research Keywords

clinical trial
miniature robots
minimally invasive intervention
thrombus treatment

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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title = "Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment: From bench to clinical trials",

abstract = "Untethered miniature robots (MRs) offer a minimally invasive way to address adverse vascular blockages, such as cerebrovascular thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism. This review explores three key questions: what are the design principles of MRs from both engineering and clinical perspectives? How can visible intervention of MRs in three-dimensional (3D) branched vessels be achieved? What is the clinical procedure for treating thrombus using designed MRs? Recent progress in MRs for thrombus removal is summarized, and, more importantly, the pros and cons of MRs are discussed. We also evaluate the challenges that may hinder their clinical deployment and propose future research directions, bridging the gap between the bench and the bedside. {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s).",

keywords = "clinical trial, miniature robots, minimally invasive intervention, thrombus treatment",

author = "Qinglong Wang and Fangling Zhao and Ben Wang and Chan, {Kai Fung} and Ip, {Bonaventure Yiu Ming} and Leung, {Thomas Wai Hong} and Xin Song and Li Zhang and Jue Xie",

year = "2025",

month = mar,

day = "11",

doi = "10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100874",

language = "English",

journal = "Innovation(United States)",

issn = "2666-6758",

publisher = "Cell Press",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment

T2 - From bench to clinical trials

AU - Wang, Qinglong

AU - Zhao, Fangling

AU - Wang, Ben

AU - Chan, Kai Fung

AU - Ip, Bonaventure Yiu Ming

AU - Leung, Thomas Wai Hong

AU - Song, Xin

AU - Zhang, Li

AU - Xie, Jue

PY - 2025/3/11

Y1 - 2025/3/11

N2 - Untethered miniature robots (MRs) offer a minimally invasive way to address adverse vascular blockages, such as cerebrovascular thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism. This review explores three key questions: what are the design principles of MRs from both engineering and clinical perspectives? How can visible intervention of MRs in three-dimensional (3D) branched vessels be achieved? What is the clinical procedure for treating thrombus using designed MRs? Recent progress in MRs for thrombus removal is summarized, and, more importantly, the pros and cons of MRs are discussed. We also evaluate the challenges that may hinder their clinical deployment and propose future research directions, bridging the gap between the bench and the bedside. © 2025 The Author(s).

AB - Untethered miniature robots (MRs) offer a minimally invasive way to address adverse vascular blockages, such as cerebrovascular thromboembolism, myocardial infarction, and pulmonary embolism. This review explores three key questions: what are the design principles of MRs from both engineering and clinical perspectives? How can visible intervention of MRs in three-dimensional (3D) branched vessels be achieved? What is the clinical procedure for treating thrombus using designed MRs? Recent progress in MRs for thrombus removal is summarized, and, more importantly, the pros and cons of MRs are discussed. We also evaluate the challenges that may hinder their clinical deployment and propose future research directions, bridging the gap between the bench and the bedside. © 2025 The Author(s).

KW - clinical trial

KW - miniature robots

KW - minimally invasive intervention

KW - thrombus treatment

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UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/pubmetrics.uri?eid=2-s2.0-105001263678&origin=recordpage

U2 - 10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100874

DO - 10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100874

M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 2666-6758

JO - Innovation(United States)

JF - Innovation(United States)

M1 - 100874

ER -

Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment: From bench to clinical trials

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

UN SDGs

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STG-ExtU-Lead: AI-assisted Microrobotic Platform for Minimally Invasive Interventions

RIF-ExtU-Lead: A Microrobotic Platform with Swarming Magnetic Microgels for Endovascular Embolization

Cite this

Untethered miniature robots for minimally invasive thrombus treatment: From bench to clinical trials

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

UN SDGs

Access Output

Other Access Options

Permanent Link

Other Files and Links

Fingerprint

Projects

STG-ExtU-Lead: AI-assisted Microrobotic Platform for Minimally Invasive Interventions

RIF-ExtU-Lead: A Microrobotic Platform with Swarming Magnetic Microgels for Endovascular Embolization

Cite this