Fluorescent Soft Robots Accurately Locate Early Gastric Cancer During Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopic surgery for early gastric cancer has become increasingly popular worldwide due to its significant short-term benefits and comparable oncological outcomes to traditional open surgery. However, accurately locating early-stage gastric cancer during laparoscopic procedures remains a challenge. This is because these tumors are confined to the mucous and submucosal layers, making them undetectable through standard examination of the serosa layer during the intraperitoneal view. To address this challenge, various methods such as preoperative dye injection and magnetic clip detection systems have been introduced to assist in locating tumors during surgery. Despite their usefulness, these existing techniques are often complex and lack both intuitiveness and durability. Now, a new study suggests the use of fluorescent soft robots to accurately identify tumors within the stomach, offering a potentially more effective and efficient solution in a clinically accessible manner.

The innovative approach, developed by researchers at Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China), involves placing a metal clip at the tumor site and administering several soft robots labeled with Cy5, a widely used far-red fluorescent dye that is known for its bright signal and suitability for various applications in biological research. These robots are designed to autonomously gather around the metal clip. To assess the efficacy of this method, the research team performed animal studies, implanting clips in the stomachs of rats and administering capsules containing the soft robots. Using fluorescence detection, the location of the clips within the stomach was successfully identified. The findings from the study indicate that these soft robots may serve as a promising alternative for accurately marking gastric lesions during laparoscopic surgery, offering advantages in persistence and intuitiveness compared to other marking methods.

The fluorescent magnetic micro-robot presents several benefits for locating gastric lesions using approved metal clips. The robots are easy to produce, thanks to a straightforward fabrication process. They demonstrate excellent mobility, enabling them to navigate within the stomach and reach specific target locations. Additionally, they strongly adhere to the metal clips, ensuring precise marking of the lesions. One key advantage of the soft robots is their ability to function effectively in the acidic environment of the stomach. This property ensures that they maintain their functionality and fluorescence even when exposed to gastric acid. Furthermore, the robots can emit fluorescence for over eight hours, which aligns with the requirements of preoperative fasting, ensuring that the fluorescence remains visible and useful throughout the preoperative period. These combined advantages position the fluorescent magnetic micro-robot as a promising method for the real-time localization of gastric lesions during surgery.

“By leveraging their simple fabrication process, excellent mobility, strong adhesion, and ability to operate in an acidic environment while maintaining long-lasting fluorescence, these soft robots offer a potential solution for efficient and accurate localization of gastric lesions in clinical practice,” said Lifeng He, a researcher at Zhejiang University and author of the paper published in the journal Cyborg and Bionic Systems.