IndiaResearchers have designed nanorobots that can get into the nooks and crannies of teeth and kill bacteria with heat.
Nano robot approaches bacteria in dentinal tubules. Image: Theranautilus
The accumulation of bacteria deep in the teeth can cause inflammation in hard-to-reach areas. Researchers at the Indian Institute of Science have developed a series of tiny cleaning robots that can solve this problem. The nano-sized machine can be manipulated with magnetic fields to penetrate the microscopic crevices in the teeth and kill bacteria with heat, providing a safe and potential solution to enhance the success of conventional root canal treatments. .
The birth of nanorobots comes from the goal of developing a new solution to deal with bacteria residing in dentinal tubules. These microscopic ducts start in the pulp, point outward, and stop just in front of the enamel. Bacteria can accumulate in the ducts, causing inflammation and requiring root canal therapy. But some bacteria can evade this treatment.
“The dentin tubules are very small and the bacteria reside deep within the tissue,” explains team member Shanmukh Srinivas. “Current technology is not effective enough to reach and kill bacteria.”
Root canal treatment involves spraying the tooth with an antiseptic, but many antibiotic-resistant species can tolerate the chemical treatment and some species can hide. Previously, scientists had success using lasers and ultrasounds, which generate shock waves that help clean bacteria better. However, this approach is still limited because it can only penetrate about 800 micrometers into the tooth.
Srinivas’ tiny robots are spiral-shaped, made of silicon dioxide with an iron coating. Such a design allows the robot to be controlled with a magnetic field and penetrates deep into 2,000 dentin tubules. There, the magnetic field can be adjusted to make the robot generate heat and kill bacteria. When the robot was inserted into the extracted tooth specimen, the team successfully moved them to penetrate deep into the dentinal tubule and attack the bacteria. They were also able to retrieve the robots, sucking them out of the tooth specimen once the job was done.
After testing the robot on a mouse model and proving the device safe and effective, the research team is looking to commercialize the technology through a startup called Theranautilus. They are also developing a medical device that dentists can use to deploy and control robots in the oral cavity during root canal treatment. The results of the study were published in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials.
An Khang (According to New Atlas)
at Blogtuan.info – Source: vnexpress.net – Read the original article here
