Magnetic Milli-Spinner for Robotic Endovascular Surgery
Vascular diseases—including atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and aneurysms—can precipitate life-threatening events, yet conventional catheter- and guidewire-based interventions often struggle to navigate highly tortuous, complex, and high-flow vasculature. To address these limitations, we present a multifunctional, magnetically actuated milli-spinner robot that provides a rapid, stable, and wireless platform for minimally invasive vascular navigation and treatment. Its hollow cylindrical body integrates a central through-hole, side slits, and helical fins that collectively generate a spinning-induced flow field, enhancing propulsion efficiency, stability, and control under dynamic and pulsatile flow conditions. By combining computational fluid dynamics simulations with experimental validation, we optimize the milli-spinner’s structural design for high-speed propulsion and efficient clot debulking in tubular flow environments. The optimized device achieves swimming speeds of up to 55 cm·s⁻¹, enabling it to overcome fast blood flow and traverse complex vascular pathways. Beyond navigation, the milli-spinner supports multiple therapeutic functions: it generates localized suction and shear forces for efficient clot removal, facilitates targeted drug delivery, and enables in situ embolization for aneurysm treatment. Together, these capabilities establish the milli-spinner as a potentially transformative endovascular platform that integrates navigation, intervention, and localized therapy within a single miniature robotic device.