Title:MRI-powered Magnetic Microrobotics
Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most preferred medical imaging modalities in clinics, providing high-quality three-dimensional (3D) soft tissue imaging without exposing patients to ionizing radiation. Moreover, MRI scanners are human-sized electromagnetic systems that can apply significant magnetic force and torque on ferromagnetic objects. In the MRI-powered magnetic microrobotics field, we aim to combine MRI scanners’ magnetic actuation and imaging potential to develop magnetically actuated medical microrobotics for minimally invasive operations. In this talk, I will discuss several MRI-powered magnetic actuation concepts for tethered and untethered magnetic robots, such as wireless magnetic capsule robots, guidewires, and catheters. Furthermore, I will introduce MR image-based microrobot tracking methods and potential medical applications of MRI-powered magnetic systems. Finally, I will conclude the talk with the future directions of MRI-powered medical systems.
Bio: M. Efe Tiryaki received his B.S. degree from METU, Ankara, in 2016 in mechanical engineering and physics, his M.S. degree from ETH Zurich on robotics in 2018, and his Ph.D. degree from Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems and ETH Zurich in 2023. He is currently a post-doctoral researcher in the Physical intelligence department. Dr. Tiryaki’s research interests include the magnetic actuation of medical microrobotic systems and developing medical imaging platforms combining localization and actuation for microrobotics systems focusing on MRI-powered magnetic actuation and imaging.