Dutch researchers have developed a prototype minimally invasive surgery tool inspired by the laying organ of the parasitic wasp. This new mechanism makes it possible in particular to extend the fields of action of minimally invasive surgery and to reduce the trauma of the operation for the patient.
- This new tool is based on an internal friction system rather than suction as current tissue transport tools work in minimally invasive surgery.
- This friction makes it possible to increase the effectiveness of the tool in deeper regions of the human body while reducing the lesions of the operation.
- However, this prototype is still too slow to be used in operation.
Nature remains an inexhaustible source of inspiration for technology. In this case, researchers from the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) have developed a new tool for tissue transport in minimally invasive surgery that mimics the egg-laying apparatus of the wasp. This piquant project was presented on September 30 in the journal Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. According to these researchers, this new mechanism would allow the use of minimally invasive surgery techniques in areas that are difficult to access and above all facilitate the recovery of patients by considerably limiting the trauma of the operation.
What does it have to do with the wasp? It is not its sting that inspires researchers this time, but its ovipositor. This organThe ultra-thin parasitic wasp has a flexible hollow needle shape and enables it to deposit its eggs in trees or living hosts. However, what caught the attention of the researchers was its mechanism, which is only made up of tiny blades that fit together like the grooves and tongues of parquet. Here, the blades slide independently of each other to create a mechanical and compact friction force. “The wasp ovipositor is so thin it can’t hold muscles, so we knew it was a clever mechanical solution worth investigating to see if we could recreate itexplains Dr. Aimée Sakes, lead author of the study and researcher of the Bio-Inspired Technology Group at the Delft University of Technology. This ovipositor-inspired transport system uses the friction generated between the blades and the tissues to transport these tissues, in the same way that the wasp ovipositor works to transport wasp eggs.”
Technological advance
Current tools work by suction. However, they lose their effectiveness once they decrease in size beyond a certain point. Less effective, conventional surgery must regain control and thus cause more tissue damage. “Current devices often get clogged when removing things like blood clots”, also illustrates Aimée Sakes. According to this researcher, the parasitic wasp technique could have another major advantage in minimally invasive surgery. “Currently, we cannot perform surgery in miniature structures, such as parts of the brain, due to the relatively large size of minimally invasive surgical instruments.she explains. However, our system could potentially enable the removal of tumor tissue from deep inside the human body through miniature incisions.”
For the time being, the medical needle inspired by the wasp is only a prototype which shows some weaknesses such as its speed of execution. The new tool transports tissue significantly slower than current suction-based tools. Therefore, it cannot yet be used in operation. Although it cannot yet replace current tools, researchers want to pursue its development in order to act on currently untreatable and/or attainable diseases, but also to reduce patient trauma caused by minimally invasive surgery.
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