MIT builds biosenter soft robotic snake to access small intestine
Technology
MIT scientists have built a soft robotic snake, BIOSENTER, that can travel through your small intestine.
This clever device is designed to help doctors reach spots in the gut that are usually tough to access, making things like biopsies and drug delivery much easier.
BIOSENTER navigated pig intestines, carried camera
BIOSENTER moves like a real snake using inflatable segments and tiny balloons to grip and slide through slippery intestines.
It's packed with useful features: a camera for imaging, tools for taking tissue samples, and a sprayer for drug delivery.
In tests on pig intestines, it traveled about six and a half feet and handled all its tasks smoothly.
As MIT professor Giovanni Traverso puts it, this tech could really level up how we diagnose and treat gut issues in the future.