Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39101622›Full record

ArticleAdvanced healthcare materials2024

Untethered Microgrippers for Biopsy in the Upper Urinary Tract.

Wangqu Liu, Ridwan Alam, Si Young Choi, Yan Wan, Ruili Zhang, Ezra Baraban, Andres Matoso, Brian R Matlaga, Jared S Winoker, David H Gracias

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Advanced healthcare materials, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Embodied Cross-Domain Intelligence in Biomedical Microrobots: A Review.Cyborg and bionic systems (Washington, D.C.) · 2026
    Review
  5. Transport of Adoptive Cell Transfers With Magnetic Helical Microrobots.Small (Weinheim an der Bergstrasse, Germany) · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Wangqu LiuDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-6526-5398
Ridwan AlamThe James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Si Young ChoiDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-7638-2875
Yan WanDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.ORCID 0009-0006-9020-0111
Ruili ZhangDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-0730-9014
Ezra BarabanDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Andres MatosoDepartment of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Brian R MatlagaThe James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute and Department of Urology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
Jared S WinokerSmith Institute for Urology, Lenox Hill Hospital, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, New York, NY, 10075, USA.
David H GraciasDepartment of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-2735-4725

Funding

Tissue biopsying with wireless microgrippers within gastrointestinal tractR01EB017742 · NIBIB · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI David H Gracias, Florin Selaru · 2014 to 2026
$6.6M
NIBIB NIH HHSNIBIB NIH HHS R01 EB017742NIH HHS R01EB017742
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Untethered microrobots offer the possibility to perform medical interventions in anatomically complex and small regions in the body. Presently, it is necessary to access the upper urinary tract to diagnose and treat Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma (UTUC). Diagnostic and treatment challenges include ensuring adequate tissue sampling, accurately grading the disease, achieving completeness in endoscopic treatment, and consistently delivering medications to targeted sites. This work introduces microgrippers (µ-grippers) that are autonomously triggered by physiological temperature for biopsy in the upper urinary tract. The experiments demonstrated that µ-grippers can be deployed using standard ureteral catheters and maneuvered using an external magnetic field. The μ-grippers successfully biopsied tissue samples from ex vivo pig ureters, indicating that the thin-film bilayer springs' autonomous, physiologically triggered actuation exerts enough force to retrieve urinary tract tissue. The quality of these biopsy samples is sufficient for histopathological examination, including hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and GATA3 immunohistochemical staining. Beyond biopsy applications, the µ-grippers' small size, wafer-scale fabrication, and multifunctionality suggest their potential for statistical sampling in the urinary tract. Experimental data and clinical reports underscore this potential through statistical simulations that compare the efficacy of µ-grippers with conventional tools, such as ureteroscopic forceps and baskets.

Indexed as

UreterAnimalsBiopsyGATA3 Transcription FactorHumansSwineUrinary TractGATA3 Transcription Factorbiopsy microrobotmicrogrippermicroroboticsmicrosurgeryshape changing device

Identifiers

PMID39101622
PMCPMC11584312

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.