A research paper by scientists at Zhejiang University presented .
The research paper, published on Apr. 11, 2025 in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems.
Laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer has gained global popularity due to its notable short-term benefits and comparable oncological prognosis to open surgery. However, accurately locating early gastric cancer during laparoscopic surgery remains a challenge, as these tumors are limited to the mucous and submucosal membranes, making them undetectable through gross analysis of the serosa layer in the intraperitoneal view. To address this issue, various techniques such as preoperative dye injection and magnetic clip detection systems have been introduced to aid in intraoperative tumor localization. However, these existing techniques are often intricate and lack intuition and endurance. "In this study, we propose a novel approach utilizing fluorescent soft robots to accurately locate tumors within the stomach." said the author Lifeng He, a researcher at Zhejiang University, "Its implementation could significantly enhance the accuracy and efficiency of tumor identification in a technologically advanced and clinically accessible manner."
In this study, the new methodology involved placing a metal clip at the tumor site, followed by administering several soft robots labeled with Cy5. These soft robots were designed to autonomously converge around the metal clip. To validate their efficacy, authors conducted animal experiments by implanting clips into the stomachs of rats and subsequently administering capsules containing the soft robots. By detecting the resulting fluorescence, the location of the clips within the stomach was successfully identified. The results of the study suggest that these soft robots hold great promise as a viable alternative for localizing gastric lesions during laparoscopic surgery, which has better persistence and intuitiveness than other markup methods.
In this study, the designed fluorescent magnetic micro-robot offers several advantages for marking gastric lesions using approved metal clips. The fabrication process is simple, allowing for easy production of the soft robots. The soft robots demonstrate excellent movement ability, enabling them to navigate within the stomach and reach the desired locations. Additionally, they exhibit strong adhesion to the metal clips, ensuring accurate marking of the lesions. One notable advantage of the soft robots is their ability to function effectively in an acidic environment, such as the stomach. This characteristic is important as it allows the soft robots to maintain their functionality and fluorescence even in the presence of gastric acid. Another significant benefit is the long-lasting fluorescence of the soft robots, which can be maintained for more than 8 h. This duration meets the requirements for preoperative fasting, ensuring that the fluorescence signal remains visible and useful throughout the preoperative period. The combination of these advantages makes the fluorescent magnetic micro-robot a promising alternative for instantly available localization of gastric lesions. "By leveraging their simple fabrication process, excellent mobility, strong adhesion, and ability to operate in an acidic environment while maintaining long-lasting fluorescence, these soft robots offer a potential solution for efficient and accurate localization of gastric lesions in clinical practice." said Lifeng He.
Authors of the paper include Lifeng He, Yu Pan, Wei Jin, Rong Tan, Yanan Xue, Danying Sun, Jingyu Zhang, Pingyu Xiang, Qin Fang, Yue Wang, Rong Xiong, Haojian Lu, and Songmei Lou.
This work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (T2293724, 62303407), the Key R&D Program of Zhejiang (2024C03173), the State Key Laboratory of Industrial Control Technology (ICT2024A08, ICT2024B03), the State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment (EIPE24212), and Xiaomi Foundation.
The paper, "Soft Robots with Cy5: An "Intake and Work" Imaging Technique for Intraoperative Navigation of Gastric Lesion" was published in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems on Apr. 11, 2025, at DOI: 10.34133/cbsystems.0212.
