Health: Corkscrew-shaped microrobot developed to swim through blood vessels and clear blockages

Blood clots might be soon be cleared by using microscopic robots with screw-like propellers that swim through blood vessels bearing blockage-busting drugs. Developed by engineers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the microrobot design was inspired by the tails of bacteria like E. coli. The tiny robot and its propeller are driven by the application of an external magnetic field -- and it is capable of moving with and against the direction of the blood flow. Tests in a fake vein filled with pig's blood showed the robot makes its clot-dissolving'tissue plasminogen activator' cargo five times more effective than the drug alone. The robot's rotor, the team said, may help to circulate the drug around the blockage site -- better breaking up the clots and reducing the risk of large fragments.