Microrobot operates inoperable brain tumors / Bonus reblog

The size of a grain of rice

Imagine a small robot that fits on the tip of your finger, by way of comparison we can say that it is the size of a grain of rice and that even with that tiny size it can navigate the human brain to treat tumors considered inoperable.

It seems like science fiction, but it is reality. A new neurosurgical microrobot created by the French company Robeaute promises to revolutionize medicine by reaching previously impossible brain regions and all this without damaging the tissues around it.

Operation mode

The device is inserted into the brain through a small opening of just a few millimeters in the skull, from there it advances slowly, moving at about 3 mm per minute using silicone rings that rotate to separate the brain tissue with extreme delicacy, avoiding any cellular damage. Its navigation is monitored in real time by image and ultrasound sensors, allowing absolute control of movements while the robot travels curved paths through the brain, avoiding critical areas such as motor or cognitive regions.

That is a gigantic leap compared to traditional techniques that depend on rigid and risky instruments, often making it impossible to remove delicate tumors. The heart of the project is the combination between micromechanical hardware and artificial intelligence.

Before surgery, the path that the robot must follow is mapped by advanced algorithms based on high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. If necessary, the surgeon can alter the trajectory in real time by guiding the microbot with submillimeter precision using external ultrasound. In addition, the robot has an internal compartment for miniaturized surgical tools capable of collecting tissue samples for biopsies or in the future even performing micro-treatments directly on tumor cells.

Various applications.

In preclinical tests carried out on sheep, no serious complications such as hematomas or brain damage were observed, which reinforces the safety and feasibility of the procedure. The AI-based trajectory planning system not only avoids critical areas of the brain, but also allows the robots to adapt to unexpected resistances during navigation.

Integration with AI and sensory systems ensures that the microrobot has sufficient autonomy to navigate complex 3D trajectories, opening possibilities for applications beyond biopsy, such as controlled drug release therapies or continuous neural monitoring, but the future of this technology is even more promising.

Imagine ultra-targeted treatments for epilepsy, monitoring of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's or even regenerative interventions in the brain, all in a minimally invasive way.

Robeaute already plans to begin clinical trials in humans in 2026 and if everything goes well, seek FDA approval for an international commercial launch until 2030; If today we are already able to build robots that navigate inside the human brain with unimaginable safety and precision, what will be the next limit? Could it be that in the future we will be able to treat serious neurological diseases without even opening the skull or even repairing damaged brain tissues using swarms of micro robots? You imagine it.