Robotic Implants to Treat Rare Birth Defects

Robotic implants may help treat babies with rare esophageal atresia; it can stimulate tissue growth by gently pulling the tissue, finds a new study. The findings of this study are further discussed in the Science Robotics journal. The robot is a small device which is attached to the esophagus by two rings. An incorporated motor then stimulates the cells by gently pulling the tissue. Using two types of sensors - one to measure the tension in the tissue and another to measure tissue displacement - the robot monitors and applies tissue traction depending on the tissue properties.

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