Micro-robots protect the retina

Researchers at ETH Zurich have created a microscopic injectable robot that can measure oxygen levels to help protect the retina.

Like other parts of the body, the retina needs oxygen to survive, and oxygen deficiency can cause permanent blindness. Therefore, to grasp the information about the oxygen concentration of the retina will assist the doctor a lot in the detection of eye problems and visual protection.

That's why scientists at the ETH Zurich Institute have developed a microscope that can be injected into the eye to measure the amount of oxygen that the retina receives.

This research team was led by Professor Bradley Nelson. They have created a microscopic robot for drug delivery and removal of scar tissue in the eye. This device measures within 1 millimeter of length and 1/3 millimeter width. It is controlled by the head from the outside of the eye which is passed through the vitreous lens.

In order for the robots to feel oxygen, the researchers coated them with a spherical nanoparticle made by the University of Granada in Spain.

When exposed to special wavelengths of light, this layer will emit fluorescence - the higher the concentration of oxygen surrounding this layer, the faster the fluorescence light will fade.

This small robot has been successfully tested with water samples with different oxygen concentrations. For use in the eye, a researcher intends to first inject them into the vitreous, then direct them towards the retina. Doctors will observe the fluorescence velocity through the pupil to determine the amount of oxygen present in the retina.

When they need to remove the robot from the retina, they will use a needle from the eye to draw them out. According to researchers at ETH, this is the most effective way to measure oxygen levels in the eyes.