Magnetically Actuated Medical Robots: An in vivo Perspective

The use of magnetic fields and field gradients to move magnetic material and devices within the human body has a surprisingly long history. Over the past two decades, there has been renewed interest in this area with the growth of magnetic medical microrobots. In this article, we focus on the state-of-the-art and future directions for magnetically actuated medical robots from an in vivo perspective. We initially review the history and relevant physics followed by a discussion on the limited in vivo research efforts that investigate magnetically guided devices. Our focus is on magnetically guided tethered probes, untethered devices (microrobots and nanorobots), and magnetic navigation systems that have been or could be utilized in vivo to provide increased control and safety for the physician and patient.