Details
Can we transform a swallowable capsule from a passive container into an intelligent miniature robot capable of navigating the human body, identifying therapeutic needs and delivering personalised treatment exactly where and when it is required?
Aim
The aim of this PhD project is to develop miniature robotic therapeutic devices that can be safely swallowed and perform targeted therapeutic interventions within the gastrointestinal tract. The project seeks to create intelligent capsule-sized systems capable of navigating, deploying therapeutic functions and interacting with gastrointestinal tissues to deliver personalised minimally invasive healthcare.
Background
Current capsule technologies are primarily designed for imaging or passive drug delivery. Once swallowed, they travel through the gastrointestinal tract without the ability to actively interact with their surroundings or adapt to changing physiological conditions. Future therapeutic capsules could move beyond diagnosis by performing localised treatment, controlled drug delivery, tissue stimulation or temporary mechanical intervention while remaining minimally invasive.
This project builds upon ongoing research within the Sheffield Biomedical Robotics Laboratory on ingestible robotic systems, robotic capsule technologies and miniature deployable medical devices. It will investigate how soft robotics, smart materials and miniature engineering can enable active therapeutic devices capable of operating safely within the complex gastrointestinal environment.
Research Objectives
Objective 1 – Develop a multifunctional capsule robotic platform
Design a swallowable capsule capable of integrating sensing, therapeutic functions and deployment mechanisms within the strict dimensional constraints of ingestible medical devices. The project will investigate miniature robotic architectures that maximise functionality while ensuring patient safety and biocompatibility.
Objective 2 – Design deployable therapeutic mechanisms
Develop miniature systems that enable the capsule to actively perform therapeutic interventions after reaching its target location. These may include local drug delivery, tissue stimulation, temporary anchoring, expandable soft structures, origami-inspired mechanisms or minimally invasive surgical tools.
Objective 3 – Investigate intelligent sensing and adaptive behaviour
Develop methods that allow capsule devices to monitor physiological conditions and modify their behaviour accordingly. The project will explore smart materials, soft sensors, embodied intelligence and low-power control strategies that support autonomous operation within the gastrointestinal tract.
Objective 4 – Validate capsule technologies in representative gastrointestinal environments
Fabricate prototype devices and evaluate their performance using laboratory and ex vivo gastrointestinal models, and possibly in vivo models. The work will investigate deployment reliability, therapeutic effectiveness, safety, robustness and long-term functionality under physiologically relevant conditions.
Research Programme
A central challenge of miniature medical robotics is achieving sophisticated functionality within an extremely small volume. Rather than miniaturising conventional robotic systems, this project will explore fundamentally new approaches that integrate materials, structures, sensing and actuation into multifunctional devices.
Soft, deformable materials and structures will be investigated as mechanisms for achieving large functional transformations after ingestion. Various actuation strategies, including magnetic, fluidic and chemically powered mechanisms, may be explored alongside smart materials capable of responding directly to physiological conditions. The research will also investigate how capsule devices can temporarily anchor, perform therapeutic actions and subsequently detach or safely leave the body.
The project will be carried out within the Sheffield Biomedical Robotics Laboratory, providing an interdisciplinary research environment spanning robotics, biomedical engineering, materials science and clinical translation. The successful candidate will receive training in miniature robotics, soft materials, biomedical device development, experimental testing and translational research. This project can be adjusted depending on the applicant’s interest in engineering.
The expected outcome is a new class of intelligent ingestible therapeutic robots capable of moving beyond passive diagnosis towards active, personalised treatment inside the gastrointestinal tract. The research will contribute to the long-term vision of autonomous medical devices that can safely perform targeted therapy from within the body.
References
https://sites.google.com/site/danadamian
shuhei.net
Funding Notes
We welcome inquiries from:
- applicants that have already secured PhD funding
- self-funded applicants
The project is suitable for applicants with backgrounds in robotics, mechanical engineering, mechatronics, bioengineering, materials engineering, control, chemical engineering or related disciplines.