Microdantists
Hygienic cleaning of teeth in the dentist's office is a rather unpleasant and lengthy procedure for removing plaque using ultrasound or by mechanical scraping. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, working under the guidance of Dr. Hyun (Michel) Koo, propose to replace it with the use of an army of microscopic robots that thoroughly and without unpleasant sensations clean the dental surface from the biofilms covering it.
The movement of robots is controlled by magnets.
Biofilms are sticky aggregates of bacteria surrounded by a protective matrix. They can form both on biological surfaces, such as the surfaces of teeth and joints, and on non-biological objects, including water pipes, implants or catheters. Removing biofilms is an exceptionally difficult task, as the sticky matrix protects bacteria from antimicrobial agents.
Previously, university researchers dealing with dental problems have achieved some success in the fight against biofilms using various original methods. One of the strategies was to use iron oxide-based nanoparticles acting as a catalyst that activates hydrogen peroxide to release biofilm-destroying free radicals.
Subsequently, they joined forces with colleagues working on robotic platforms using iron oxide nanoparticles as components of micro robots. The movements of such robots are controlled by a magnetic field, which provides the possibility of wireless control.
In the course of joint work, the authors created, optimized and tested 2 types of robotic systems for removing biofilms, called catalytic antimicrobial robots or CARs (catalytic antimicrobial robots, CARs). The functioning of the first system involves resuspending iron oxide nanoparticles in a solution, the movements of which can subsequently be controlled using magnets. This will allow the biofilms to be mechanically cleaned off the surface. For the functioning of the second platform, nanoparticles are distributed in three-dimensional gel forms used to remove biofilms formed on the inner surface of the tubes.
Two types of punishments effectively killed bacteria, destroyed the matrix surrounding them and completely removed the remnants. After testing the ability to remove biofilms from a flat glass surface and the inner walls of glass tubes, the authors successfully tested a more clinical application – removing biofilms from the surface, as well as hard-to-reach internal areas of human teeth.
The image obtained by frame-by-frame shooting shows the movement of the robot in the form of a screw inside the dental canal.
Robotic biofilm removal systems can perform a wide range of tasks, from maintaining the cleanliness of water pipes and catheters to the prevention of caries and other dental diseases, as well as contamination of implants. The authors hope that in the future they will be able to create automated systems that will function based on the information they actively collect. In other words, the robot's movement will be controlled by biofilm images obtained using micro cameras or other suitable devices.
Article by Geelsu Hwang et al. Catalytic antimicrobial robots for biofilm eradication is published in the journal Science Robotics.
Evgenia Ryabtseva, portal "Eternal Youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru based on the materials of the University of Pennsylvania: An army of microrobots can wipe out dental plaque.