The 'army' of microscopic robots looks for cancer cells

Scientists have worked for years to find ways to integrate robots into medical products.

Scientists have inserted small devices to inject drugs into the eyes or penetrate hard-to-reach areas to handle difficult medical tasks. Now, they have found a new way to fight cancer thanks to micro robots.

This new method allows them to offer complex operations within the human body.(Photo by J. Rahmer and B. Gleich / Philips Research).

According to Engadget, researchers at the Phillips Innovative Technologies Center in Hamburg (Germany) have found a way to interact with each individual of a group of robots and assign specific tasks to them with magnetic fields. Scientists presented their new discovery in the scientific journal Journal Science Robotics on February 15th.

In the past, it was difficult to accurately control micro devices (only visible through microscopes) , because controlling them would behave the same if they had the same magnetic field. " Our new approach can allow them to make complex operations within the human body," said Jürgen Rahmer, a research team representative with Live Science.

Scientists can now use these micro-robots to deliver radioactive "seeds" to remove tumors or cancer in the body. Researchers say this new type of cancer treatment can keep healthy tissues alive and minimize harmful side effects to the body. It may also be used to create special medical tissue for healing patients who need tissue transplantation.