Islam Khalil and his team are building magnetic micro-robots to treat strokes, target tumours, and improve diagnostics. They are custom-built, spiral-shaped devices that can swim through the body, powered and guided entirely by magnets outside the patient.
They are smaller than a grain of rice. They are wireless. And they can go where surgeons cannot. At UT, associate professor Islam Khalil leads a team building magnetic micro-robots designed to move through the human body, reach hard-to-access areas, and deliver treatment with extreme precision. “The real joy is watching them move,” Islam says. “But the true impact is when they move inside the human body, when they can reach deep into blood vessels and make a difference for patients.”
A robot you guide with magnets
The concept is simple yet powerful: tiny robots controlled from outside the body using a rotating magnetic field. There are no wires, no batteries, and no surgical cuts. The robot itself spins, thanks to its spiral shape, and moves through blood vessels or soft tissue, guided by an external magnet. “Our bodies are transparent to magnetic fields,” Islam explains. “That means we can steer the robot from a safe distance, without any physical connection.” The system, which looks like a robotic arm waving above the body, is precise enough to navigate real blood vessels and strong enough to work against the flow of blood.
Testing in real organs
To test the system, Islam’s team uses real animal organs with artificial blood flow, mimicking what happens in a living body. In these models, the robot can travel from the femoral artery to the brain, move around different branches, or dive deep into organs like the kidney. “We have tested it inside the aorta, the renal artery, even through soft brain tissue,” says Islam. “We are no longer using plastic tubes; we are working with real tissue under clinically relevant conditions.” These pre-clinical setups bring the team closer to the real thing: procedures that work in operating rooms, not just under a microscope.
Could this change how we treat strokes?
Yes, these micro-robots could one day revolutionise the treatment of strokes. In many cases, clots deep in the brain are unreachable with today’s flexible catheters. But a small, steerable robot? That could go exactly where it is needed. The same goes for cancer. Islam envisions a future where a robot can be steered through blood vessels to reach a brain tumour and deliver a tiny dose of radiation, right at the tumour, without damaging surrounding tissue. “It means fewer side effects and better outcomes.”
A camera you can steer through the body
It is not all surgery. Another part of Islam’s work focuses on diagnostics, specifically, improving video capsule endoscopy. Today, patients swallow a passive capsule that floats through the digestive system, taking pictures along the way. But the journey is random, and doctors can’t control what they see. “We are giving clinicians control,” Islam says. “With our system, they can steer the capsule, pause where needed, and scan with far greater precision.” This technology, developed with MST, is already much closer to the clinic. Certified capsules are already on the market, and Islam’s team is adding control and precision.
None of this happens in isolation. Islam works closely with surgeons, oncologists, and gastroenterologists from Radboudumc and MST. The Robotics and Mechatronics (RAM) lab brings together engineers, chemists, materials scientists, and biologists. And it’s not just about building something cool. “Clinicians told us, ‘That’s cool, but it doesn’t help me yet.’ That’s when we realised we had to change how we worked,” says Islam Khalil. That real-world urgency keeps the research grounded, and it’s paying off. Within two years, the team expects its capsule technology to enter clinical trials with patients.
So, when do the robots reach the OR?
It wasn’t always this way. Just a few years ago, Islam’s micro-robots were confined to Petri dishes under a microscope. “Clinicians would say: this looks cool, but what am I supposed to do with it?” he recalls. That challenge sparked a shift: more realism, more clinical collaboration, and a laser focus on applications with real patient benefit. “Now, we are doing experiments in real tissue. We are planning preclinical trials, and getting closer to something that can truly be used in the OR.” The robots are still years away from operating rooms. But they have already gone further than anyone thought possible, quietly spinning through vessels no hand could ever reach.
