A Shapeshifting Swarm of Tiny Robots Could Soon Clean Your Teeth Without a Brush
Posted By: RumorMail
Date: Sunday, 10-Jul-2022 13:13:36
www.rumormill.news/203183
Well, this isn’t something that I would want to try out anytime soon. I can see how it would be marketed to children and teens as the ‘NEXT COOL THING’… What happens to the little nanobots that detach themselves and get swallowed?? Do they clean your colon with equal glee??
Pass,
Lynda
Shapeshifting Microbots Can Brush & Floss Teeth Says Study - YouTube
By Chris Melore
A “shapeshifting robotic microswarm” of nanobots could be in your future for flossing and brushing your teeth! Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania say their microscopic dentists “may one day act as a toothbrush, rinse, and dental floss in one.”
Using a magnetic field, researchers say they can direct the microrobots’ motion and configuration to form either bristle-like structures like a toothbrush, or elongated strings that can slip between teeth like dental floss. In either case, the building blocks of these tiny robots contain iron oxide nanoparticles, which produce both catalytic and magnetic reactions.
The catalytic reaction drives the nanoparticles to produce antimicrobials that can kill harmful bacteria on a person’s teeth or gums. The team’s experiments demonstrated that the robots could conform to the shape of a person’s teeth — even if they’re crooked — and eliminate all of the biofilms that cause tooth decay and gum disease.
“Routine oral care is cumbersome and can pose challenges for many people, especially those who have hard time cleaning their teeth” says Hyun (Michel) Koo, a professor in the Department of Orthodontics and divisions of Community Oral Health and Pediatric Dentistry in Penn’s School of Dental Medicine, in a university release. “You have to brush your teeth, then floss your teeth, then rinse your mouth; it’s a manual, multistep process. The big innovation here is that the robotics system can do all three in a single, hands-free, automated way.”
“Nanoparticles can be shaped and controlled with magnetic fields in surprising ways,” adds Edward Steager, a senior research investigator in Penn’s School of Engineering and Applied Science. “We form bristles that can extend, sweep, and even transfer back and forth across a space, much like flossing. The way it works is similar to how a robotic arm might reach out and clean a surface. The system can be programmed to do the nanoparticle assembly and motion control automatically.”
A “shapeshifting robotic microswarm” of nanobots could be in your future for flossing and brushing your teeth! Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania say their microscopic dentists “may one day act as a toothbrush, rinse, and dental floss in one.”
Using a magnetic field, researchers say they can direct the microrobots’ motion and configuration to form either bristle-like structures like a toothbrush, or elongated strings that can slip between teeth like dental floss. In either case, the building blocks of these tiny robots contain iron oxide nanoparticles, which produce both catalytic and magnetic reactions
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.2c01950
A shapeshifting swarm of tiny robots could soon clean your teeth without a brush! - Study Finds
Chris Melore has been a writer, researcher, editor, and producer in the New York-area since 2006. He won a local Emmy award for his work in sports television in 2011.