Cancer Cells Microsurgery via Asymmetric Bent Surface Au/Ag/Ni Microrobotic Scalpels Through a Transversal Rotating Magnetic Field

• Published in: ACS nano 2020-07, Vol.14 (7), p.8247-8256
• Main Authors: Vyskočil, Jan, Mayorga-Martinez, Carmen C, Jablonská, Eva, Novotný, Filip, Ruml, Tomáš, Pumera, Martin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1936-0851; 1936-086X
• DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c01705

The actuation of micro/nanomachines by means of a magnetic field is a promising fuel-free way to transport cargo in microscale dimensions. This type of movement has been extensively studied for a variety of micro/nanomachine designs, and a special magnetic field configuration results in a near-surface walking. We developed “walking” micromachines which transversally move in a magnetic field, and we used them as microrobotic scalpels to enter and exit an individual cancer cell and cut a small cellular fragment. In these microscalpels, the center of mass lies approximately in the middle of their length. The microrobotic scalpels show good propulsion efficiency and high step-out frequencies of the magnetic field. Au/Ag/Ni microrobotic scalpels controlled by a transversal rotating magnetic field can enter the cytoplasm of cancer cells and also are able to remove a piece of the cytosol while leaving the cytoplasmic membrane intact in a microsurgery-like manner. We believe that this concept can be further developed for potential biological or medical applications.