We know that people who have coronary problems can be operated through the use of a catheter that is made to reach the place where the problem is. In general, it is usually a narrowing of the vein that, if not corrected, can cause death.
And although these methods have been used for years and have come a long way, they are still quite imprecise, and since the surgeon must "see" the catheter until it reaches the right place, X-ray means have to be used and therefore the patient. receives very high levels of radiation.
An alternative is the use of mini-robots that move through the veins to the desired location, and once there perform the necessary operation.
Of course, to operate inside a human artery you need to have a very special mini-robot, and one that also has a very good steering system from outside the body.
If a patient has a vein like the one pictured below, he needs a procedure to unblock the narrowing in his duct.
An article has recently been published in the IEEE Robotics magazine about a robot called I-RAMAN (robotically assisted magnetic navigation system for endovascular intervention) that is guided from outside the body of the person through a magnetic system.
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So that the patient's body does not receive a lot of radiation, a few X-rays are previously taken, and from that information it’s generated a 3D map of the interior of the body, which is then used to direct the movement of the mini-robot inside the veins, until it reaches its objective.
The mini-robot is directed by externally generated magnetic fields, and when it reaches the right place, the desired “operation” is performed. Several tests have already been carried out on this procedure in pigs, and it is in the process of starting to operate in humans.
The operation is faster and more precise than introducing a catheter, and the mini-robot can perform other functions such as depositing medication at the site of the intervention, etc...
This is yet another case of how technology helps us improve our processes, and robotics is one of the most versatile technologies we have.
A very interesting video can be seen at: https://youtu.be/PYJ4TSJI5Ao
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