Open-Loop Drug Delivery Strategy to the Cochlea using a Permanent Magnetic Actuator

The use of robotic devices for drug delivery in sensitive area of the human body is an innovative and reliable solution. Most of them use magnetics fields, to steer micro-nanorobots into diseases locations. In this study, we use a magnetic actuator based on two permanent magnets as an end-effector of a robotic manipulator. The actuator offers the possibility to generate both pushing and pulling forces on the magnetic actuator axis in an open-loop control way. We describe in this paper the robotic drug delivery strategy that we implemented in a 6 degree of freedom robotic manipulator to push and to steer a magnetic microparticle from the round window to the apex of the human cochlea. Different experiments have been conducted in order to demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of the navigation proposed strategy on a human phantom cochlea. The results demonstrate clearly that precise and reliable drug administration is rendered possible.