An international research team led by the University of Waterloo is developing technology to dissolve painful kidney stones in the urinary tract using tiny robots.
The new technique, tested in a life-size, 3D-printed model, features thin, spaghetti-like strips fitted with magnets that can be moved into place near uric acid kidney stones with a robotic arm operated by doctors (see left image).
The soft, flexible robot strips are about a centimetre long and contain an enzyme called urease. Once in place, the urease reduces the acidity of the surrounding urine, thereby dissolving stones until they are small enough to pass naturally in just a few days.
