A soft robotic system and method for gastrointestinal drug delivery

Abstract

This invention discloses a soft robot system and method for gastrointestinal drug delivery, belonging to the field of soft robotics. The system's soft robot body, used to drive the movement of the drug delivery module, is a spoke-shaped structure formed by connecting several soft electromagnetic actuators embedded with flexible conductive coils. The drug delivery module is located at the central axis of the soft robot body and releases the drug solution from the chamber to the outside by generating gas through an electrolytic reaction to change the internal pressure. The drive module includes an onboard control and power module located on the soft robot body and an external magnetic field supply device, used to control the deformation of the soft robot body to achieve various motion modes and to power the drug delivery module. The soft robot system of this invention can reduce its volume by folding, actively unfold after passing through narrow spaces, and move to the target position through various motion forms under the action of Laplace force, releasing the therapeutic drug in that area.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application belongs to the field of soft robots, and particularly relates to a soft robot system and method for gastrointestinal drug delivery. BACKGROUND

[0002] As the core organ of human digestion and absorption, the gastrointestinal tract is also a high-risk site for various diseases (such as inflammatory bowel disease, local infection, and digestive tract tumor). For these gastrointestinal diseases, traditional drug delivery methods mainly include systemic drug delivery and oral targeted drug delivery.

[0003] However, systemic drug delivery for local gastrointestinal diseases has significant defects, and only a small part of the drug can effectively act on the diseased gastrointestinal region. This not only leads to low drug delivery efficiency, but also requires a large dose to achieve a local effective concentration. At the same time, high drug concentration also causes greater burden on the metabolic organs such as liver and kidney.

[0004] To improve the local concentration of drugs in the gastrointestinal tract, researchers have developed active gastrointestinal drug delivery based on robots. Although traditional rigid capsules can reach the gastrointestinal tract, their movement ability in the complex digestive tract and the way of interaction with tissues are limited, which may cause damage to the mucosa. In addition, current gastrointestinal robots mostly rely on external magnetic field for global regulation, have single movement mode, and poor spatiotemporal accuracy, and have limited adaptability in complex environments. In summary, the existing gastrointestinal robots still generally face key problems such as easy damage to the mucosa, insufficient movement ability, and uncontrollable drug delivery.

[0005] Therefore, it is urgent to develop a soft robot system which not only realizes controllable morphological adaptation and precise active navigation in the complex gastrointestinal environment, but also realizes controllable drug release at the lesion site, thereby greatly improving the treatment effect and providing a new solution for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. SUMMARY

[0006] The purpose of the present application is to overcome the defects in the prior art and provide a soft robot system and method for gastrointestinal drug delivery.

[0007] The specific technical solutions adopted by the present application are as follows:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present application provides a soft robot system for gastrointestinal drug delivery, comprising a soft robot body, a drug release module, and a driving module.

[0009] The soft robot body is used to drive the drug release module to move, and is in the form of a spoke structure connected by a plurality of soft electromagnetic actuators with embedded flexible conductive coils. The soft robot body is externally coated with a film having stimulus responsiveness, which can be folded into a cylindrical configuration. When the film is opened, it can recover to the spoke structure.

[0010] The drug release module is located on the central axis of the soft robot body. An inert electrode is provided inside the chamber. The gas generated by the electrolytic reaction changes the pressure inside the chamber, which can release the drug liquid in the chamber to the outside.

[0011] The drive module includes an onboard control and power module located on the soft robot body and an external magnetic field supply device, used to control the deformation of the soft robot body to achieve various motion modes and to power the drug release module.

[0012] Preferably, the soft robot body includes at least three soft electromagnetic actuators, each of which includes a flexible encapsulation shell and a flexible conductive coil encapsulated inside. The flexible encapsulation shell is configured into a spoke-like structure using an adhesive.

[0013] Preferably, one side of the flexible encapsulation housing is a plane, and the other side is provided with a stepped groove; the stepped groove includes a concave surface and a convex surface, and adjacent soft electromagnetic actuators are connected by fitting the concave surface and the convex surface to form a radial structure with both sides being planes.

[0014] Preferably, the flexible conductive coil is one of gallium indium tin cryogenic liquid metal, flexible metal wire, conductive carbon paste, and conductive silver paste, and the flexible packaging shell is made of Ecoflex-30 material.

[0015] Preferably, the film is at least one of polyvinyl alcohol, starch, cellulose, polylactic acid and polycaprolactone, and is soluble in an aqueous environment.

[0016] Preferably, the drug release module has a cylindrical structure with a sealed chamber inside. Two inert electrodes are fixed inside the chamber, used to connect to the positive and negative terminals of the onboard control and power module, serving as the cathode and anode of the electrolytic cell. The two inert electrodes are separated by an insulating material. One end of the chamber is sealed with a cap, which has a microchannel for releasing the drug solution from the chamber to the outside. The microchannel is sized to allow a syringe to inject the drug solution into the chamber through a needle, and prevents drug leakage when the drug release module is not activated.

[0017] Preferably, the inner diameter of the microchannel is 0.5 mm.

[0018] Preferably, the inert electrode is made of platinum wire or carbon rod.

[0019] Preferably, the magnetic field providing device is an electromagnet, a permanent magnet, a Helmholtz coil, or a nuclear magnetic resonance scanner.

[0020] Secondly, the present invention provides a method for drug delivery using a soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery as described in any one of the first aspects, specifically as follows:

[0021] S1: Using a syringe, inject the drug solution into the cavity of the drug release module through the needle. Rotate the soft robot body so that each soft electromagnetic actuator falls to the same side. Then wrap a thin film on the outside to fold the soft robot body into a cylindrical configuration.

[0022] S2: The soft robot body wrapped in the film is sent into the gastrointestinal tract. The film dissolves upon contact with the liquid and releases the soft robot body, which then returns to its spoke-shaped structure.

[0023] S3: Under the action of the external magnetic field of the drive module, the spoke-shaped soft robot body, based on the Laplace force, performs a variety of movement modes including rolling, crawling, swimming and walking, moving in the gastrointestinal tract and reaching the lesion area.

[0024] S4: When the soft robot moves to the lesion area, the drive module activates the drug release module to release the drug in the chamber into the gastrointestinal tract through the microchannel; the pressure in the chamber is changed by the gas generated by the electrolysis of water, and different doses of drug are released in the corresponding lesion area.

[0025] S5: After the task is completed, the soft robot body is expelled from the body.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0027] (1) The soft robot system provided by the present invention has a simple and sufficiently flexible structure, and will not cause additional damage to the gastrointestinal system. Moreover, the robot can reduce its size by folding and can autonomously unfold after passing through narrow spaces to perform medical tasks.

[0028] (2) The soft robot system provided by this invention adopts soft electromagnetic drive and has multiple movement modes such as rolling, crawling, and swimming. In addition, the robot itself has good obstacle crossing ability and can move on various substrate surfaces and unstructured terrains. Furthermore, the robot itself has the ability to actively switch postures and can achieve dynamic programmable movement for complex environments. It can effectively adapt to complex environments such as the gastrointestinal tract, ensuring that drugs can be accurately delivered to the target lesion.

[0029] (3) The soft robot system provided by the present invention has a centrally integrated drug release module. This module can generate hydrogen and oxygen by electrolyzing water to increase the internal pressure of the chamber and further discharge the drug solution from the chamber. Since the electrolysis process can be controlled by current, this module also has the advantages of rapid release, slow release, and multiple releases. Therefore, one robot can perform tasks for multiple lesion areas, which can effectively reduce surgical costs and has high practicality.

[0030] (4) The soft robot system provided by this invention is not only a drug delivery tool, but also a powerful micro platform. After integrating multimodal motion capabilities, the robot can flexibly carry other micro functional modules to achieve integrated diagnosis and treatment. For example, after navigating to the lesion, the robot can activate the onboard micro camera or spectral imaging module to perform real-time high-definition imaging and biochemical analysis of the lesion, and obtain key information such as pH value, temperature, and inflammatory markers, thereby achieving in vivo real-time diagnosis. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 The images show a preferred embodiment of the soft robot body of the present invention, including (a) a front view of its standing posture, (b) a front view of its lying posture, and (c) an isometric view of its standing posture.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a soft robot body according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a soft electromagnetic actuator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the drug release module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the unfolding process of a soft robotic system encased in a thin film;

[0036] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the motion capabilities of a soft robot system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the working process of a soft robot system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] In all the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are used to denote the same elements or structures, wherein: 1 is the soft robot body, 2 is the drug delivery module, 3 is the soft electromagnetic actuator, 4 is the adhesive, 31 is the flexible conductive coil, 32 is the flexible encapsulation shell, 33 is the concave surface, 34 is the convex surface, 5 is the chamber, 6 is the sealing cap, 7 is the microchannel, 8 is the inert electrode, 9 is the insulating material, 10 is the thin film, 11 is the magnetic field providing device, and 12 is the airborne control and power module. Detailed Implementation

[0039] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention can be practiced in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. Technical features in various embodiments of the present invention can be combined accordingly without mutual conflict.

[0040] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that when an element is considered to be "connected" to another element, it can be a direct connection to the other element or an indirect connection, i.e., there is an intermediate element. Conversely, when an element is said to be "directly" connected to another element, there is no intermediate element.

[0041] This invention provides a soft robot system for gastrointestinal drug delivery. The system mainly comprises a soft robot body 1, a drug delivery module 2, and a drive module. These components cooperate to achieve gastrointestinal drug delivery; the cooperation process is described below.

[0042] In the system of the present invention, such as Figures 1-3 As shown, the soft robot body 1 is used to drive the drug release module 2 to move. It is a spoke-shaped structure formed by connecting multiple soft electromagnetic actuators 3, and each soft electromagnetic actuator 3 has a flexible conductive coil 31 embedded in it.

[0043] In practical use, the soft robot body 1 is covered by a thin film 10, which can be folded to form a cylindrical shape. The thin film 10 is stimulus-responsive; the robot can be folded into a cylindrical shape to reduce its volume and wrapped with the thin film 10 to fix its shape. When the thin film 10 is opened, it can return to a spoke-like structure to perform tasks. This process is as follows: Figure 5 As shown.

[0044] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the soft robot body 1 includes at least three soft electromagnetic actuators 3, such as... Figure 1 and 2Six pieces are shown. Of course, in actual use, other numbers of soft electromagnetic actuators can also be used. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the soft electromagnetic actuator 3 includes a flexible encapsulation housing 32 and a flexible conductive coil 31, wherein the flexible conductive coil 31 is encapsulated inside the flexible encapsulation housing 32. The flexible encapsulation housings 32 can be interconnected by adhesive 4 to form a spoke-like structure around the central drug release module 2.

[0045] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 3 As shown, the flexible encapsulation housing 32 has a plate-like structure with two sides. One side is flat, and the other side has a stepped groove, which includes a concave surface 33 and a convex surface 34. Figure 2 As shown, the convex surface 34 can be bent backward and embedded in the concave surface 33 of another soft electromagnetic actuator 3. In other words, adjacent soft electromagnetic actuators 3 can be connected by fitting the concave surface 33 and the convex surface 34 together to form a radial structure with both sides being flat.

[0046] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flexible conductive coil 31 can be made of gallium indium tin cryogenic liquid metal, and the mass ratio of gallium, indium and tin is 68.5:21.5:10. It should be noted that the flexible conductive coil 31 can also be a flexible metal wire, conductive carbon paste, conductive silver paste or other materials with high conductivity.

[0047] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flexible encapsulation shell 32 uses Ecoflex-30 as the elastomer material. This is a very soft silicone rubber with high elasticity and high biocompatibility, commonly used in medical and skin contact applications. Of course, other elastomer materials with similar properties can also be used.

[0048] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the film 10 is a stimulus-responsive material that can dissolve under specific stimuli. The stimulus-responsive material may be at least one of polyvinyl alcohol, starch, cellulose, polylactic acid, and polycaprolactone, and is soluble in an aqueous environment.

[0049] In the system of the present invention, such as Figure 4 As shown, the drug release module 2 is located at the central axis of the soft robot body 1, and has the functions of supporting the robot structure and releasing drugs. The chamber 5 of the drug release module 2 is equipped with an inert electrode 8. By generating gas through electrolysis, the internal pressure of the chamber is changed, which can release the liquid drug in the chamber 5 to the outside.

[0050] As a preferred embodiment of the present invention, such as Figure 4As shown, the drug release module 2 has a cylindrical structure with a well-sealed chamber 5 inside. Two inert electrodes 8 are fixed inside the chamber 5, used to connect to the positive and negative terminals of the power supply of the airborne control and power module 12, serving as the cathode and anode of the electrolytic cell. The two inert electrodes 8 are separated by an insulating material 9. One end of the chamber 5 is sealed with a sealing cap 6, which has a microchannel 7 for releasing the drug solution inside the chamber 5 to the outside. The size of the microchannel 7 must allow the syringe to inject the drug solution into the chamber 5 through the needle, while ensuring that no drug leakage occurs when the drug release module 2 is not activated. For example, in this embodiment, the inner diameter of the microchannel 7 can be 0.5 mm.

[0051] In this embodiment, platinum wire is used as the inert electrode 8. Of course, the inert electrode 8 can also be made of inert conductive materials such as carbon rods.

[0052] In the system of the present invention, such as Figure 6 As shown, the drive module includes an onboard control and power module 12 located on the soft robot body 1 and an external magnetic field supply device 11, which are used to control the deformation of the soft robot body 1 to achieve various motion modes and to supply power to the drug release module 2.

[0053] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the magnetic field providing device 11 is an electromagnet, but a permanent magnet, a Helmholtz coil or a nuclear magnetic resonance scanner may also be used.

[0054] The soft electromagnetic actuator 3 needs to operate in a magnetic field and can be independently controlled by the onboard control and power module 12. When the flexible conductive coil 31 is energized, it is subjected to a Laplace force in the magnetic field, causing the soft electromagnetic actuator 3 to undergo deformations such as bending and twisting. By adjusting the output signals of the onboard control and power module 12 in space and time, the soft robot body 1 can achieve various motion modes based on the controlled deformation of the soft electromagnetic actuator 3. It can achieve motion modes including but not limited to rolling, crawling, walking, and swimming in standing and lying postures, and can actively switch between the two postures to adapt to complex environments.

[0055] like Figure 7 As shown, utilizing the aforementioned soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery, the present invention also provides a drug delivery method, which is specifically as follows:

[0056] S1: Using a syringe, inject the drug solution into the chamber 5 of the drug release module 2 through the needle. Rotate the soft robot body 1 so that each soft electromagnetic actuator 3 falls to the same side. Then wrap the outside with a thin film 10 to fold the soft robot body 1 into a cylindrical configuration.

[0057] Due to the spoke structure and flexible body of the robot itself, the soft robot body 1 can be folded into a cylindrical configuration and wrapped with a soluble film 10.

[0058] S2: The soft robot body 1, wrapped with the film 10, is inserted into the gastrointestinal tract through a narrow entrance (such as the cardia of the stomach). Upon contact with liquid, the film 10 dissolves and releases the soft robot body 1. Due to the elasticity of the soft robot body 1, it will return to its initial spoke-shaped structure.

[0059] S3: Under the action of the external magnetic field of the drive module, the spoke-shaped soft robot body 1, based on the Laplace force, can perform a variety of movement modes in the magnetic field, including rolling, crawling, swimming and walking, move in the gastrointestinal tract and overcome the complex internal environment of the stomach to reach the lesion area.

[0060] S4: After the soft robot body 1 moves to the lesion area, the drive module activates the drug release module 2, releasing the drug solution in chamber 5 into the gastrointestinal tract through the microfluidic channel 7. The pressure inside chamber 5 is changed by the gas generated through water electrolysis, releasing different doses of drug solution to the corresponding lesion area for treatment.

[0061] S5: After the task is completed, the soft robot body 1 can actively detach and be expelled from the body.

[0062] The soft robot system of the present invention can reduce its volume by folding, actively unfold after passing through narrow spaces, move to the target position through various motion forms under the action of Laplace force, and release drugs for treatment in that area.

[0063] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, all technical solutions obtained through equivalent substitution or transformation fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery, characterized in that, It includes a soft robot body (1), a drug delivery module (2), and a drive module; The soft robot body (1) is used to drive the drug release module (2) to move. It is a spoke-shaped structure formed by connecting several soft electromagnetic actuators (3) with embedded flexible conductive coils (31). The soft robot body (1) is covered by a stimuli-responsive film (10) that can be folded to form a cylindrical configuration. After the film (10) is opened, it can be restored to a spoke-shaped structure. The drug release module (2) is located on the central axis of the soft robot body (1). An inert electrode (8) is provided inside the chamber (5). The gas generated by the electrolytic reaction changes the pressure inside the chamber, which can release the drug liquid in the chamber (5) to the outside. The drive module includes an onboard control and power module (12) located on the soft robot body (1) and an external magnetic field supply device (11) for controlling the deformation of the soft robot body (1) to achieve multiple motion modes and to supply power to the drug release module (2).

2. The soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The soft robot body (1) includes at least three soft electromagnetic actuators (3). Each soft electromagnetic actuator (3) includes a flexible encapsulation shell (32) and a flexible conductive coil (31) encapsulated inside. The flexible encapsulation shell (32) is formed into a spoke-shaped structure by an adhesive (4).

3. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 2, characterized in that, One side of the flexible encapsulation shell (32) is a plane, and the other side is provided with a stepped groove; the stepped groove includes a concave surface (33) and a convex surface (34). Adjacent soft electromagnetic actuators (3) are connected by fitting the concave surface (33) and the convex surface (34) to form a radial structure with both sides being plane.

4. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 2, characterized in that, The flexible conductive coil (31) is one of gallium indium tin cryogenic liquid metal, flexible metal wire, conductive carbon paste, and conductive silver paste, and the flexible packaging shell (32) is made of Ecoflex-30 material.

5. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The film (10) is at least one of polyvinyl alcohol, starch, cellulose, polylactic acid and polycaprolactone, and is soluble in an aqueous environment.

6. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drug release module (2) is a cylindrical structure with a sealed chamber (5) inside. Two inert electrodes (8) are fixed inside the chamber (5) for connecting to the positive and negative terminals of the power supply of the airborne control and power module (12) and serving as the cathode and anode of the electrolytic cell. The two inert electrodes (8) are separated by an insulating material (9). One end of the chamber (5) is sealed with a sealing cap (6), and a microchannel (7) is provided on the sealing cap (6) to release the drug solution in the chamber (5) to the outside. The size of the microchannel (7) is such that the syringe can inject the drug solution into the chamber (5) through the needle, and the drug solution will not leak when the drug release module (2) is not activated.

7. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 6, characterized in that, The inner diameter of the microchannel (7) is 0.5 mm.

8. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inert electrode (8) is made of platinum wire or carbon rod.

9. A soft robotic system for gastrointestinal drug delivery according to claim 1, characterized in that, The magnetic field providing device (11) is an electromagnet, a permanent magnet, a Helmholtz coil, or a nuclear magnetic resonance scanner.

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