Self-Propelling Adaptive Robotic Microcatheters Enabled by Scalable Fabrication for Intracorporeal Navigation

Minimally invasive therapies demand precise navigation through complex and delicate anatomical pathways, requiring medical tools that are small, flexible, and highly maneuverable. Here, we present a scalable fabrication platform for magnetic tubular microrobots, tethered and untethered, with programmable magnetization, enabling self-propulsion, and an adaptive remote control for targeted interventions. The platform uses Joule heating through a template wire for rapid, and reliable fabrication of microrobots with tunable dimensions. We demonstrate three device configurations: (1) a steerable guiding microcatheter with stiffness modulation; (2) an untethered tubular microrobot (TubeBot) exhibiting wave-crawling locomotion; and (3) a hybrid microcatheter robot that integrates distal-end wave-crawling propulsion with linear insertion to minimize tissue trauma. Validation in tortuous channels, soft phantoms replicating tissue compliance, 3D-printed organ models, ex vivo tissues, and live mice demonstrates the platform ability to achieve precise microrobotic navigation. The successful targeted delivery of sperm cells, embryos, and drug-mimicking compounds further highlights its potential for precision medicine, including applications in assisted reproduction and targeted drug delivery.