Bioresorbable Shape-Morphing Biomedical Thin-Film Microrobots

Shape-morphing microrobots that can adapt to physiological environments and transform their geometry or functionality offer the potential for autonomous deployable, intelligent systems to enable biomedical functions, such as drug delivery and microsurgery. However, safety concerns can limit the wide-scale adoption of such devices. After completing their tasks, there is a risk that such devices can be stuck or retained in the body, which may require additional surgical interventions to be removed. In this work, we report shape-morphing origami microrobots composed of bioresorbable materials such as Fe, MgO, and Mo, offering the possibility for dissolution in the body. We characterize the thin film stresses and deposition parameters to create bilayers that can fold with appropriate angles and dissolve at different times. We demonstrate the creation of foldable microstructures using a novel water-free shadow mask microfabrication process. We believe this study advances water-free thin film microfabrication processes for bioresorbable materials and the devices are an essential step towards the creation of safe, dissolvable shape change microrobots for biomedical applications.