Automatic Navigation Scheme for Micro-Robot Using Magnetic Potential Field

Abstract

Numerous control methods for micro-robot have been developed for biomedical applications such as minimally invasive surgery, micromanipulation, and magnetic drug delivery. Among many manipulation schemes for them, magnetic actuation is useful because of penetration depth and safety. Furthermore, Field Free Point (FFP) is a promising actuation tool for magnetic actuation in terms of efficiency and utility. It can also be used for Magnetic Particle Imaging (MPI). Through FFP, imaging and actuation can be done on the same device without an additional hardware system. However, there is no automatic FFP navigation system. Moreover, micro navigation should be overcome in the fast fluid for human application. This is because the currently presented micro-navigation technologies are at a level that can only be applied to some human capillaries. In this research, I suggest an automatic navigation algorithm using a magnetic potential field in the form of FFP. Automatic navigation is utilized by Artificial Potential Field (APF) which is one of the path planning algorithms. By using FFP and a permanent magnet, APF is implemented as an actual magnetic field to navigate the micro-robot. Consequently, automatic and robust in the fast fluid algorithm is verified through simulation and real experimental results.