A microrocketAMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, COURTESY OF JOSEPH WANG, UCSD
THE DEVICE: With the ability to power around a person’s gut on jet propulsion fueled by stomach acid, a new microrocket, designed by nanoengineer Joseph Wang at the University California San Diego, could one day help surgeons root around for cancerous cysts or deliver targeted therapies. The 10-micrometer conical tube is lined with zinc, which reacts with acidic environments to produce bubbles of hydrogen gas that shoot out one end and propel the capsule forward. With the surface of the tube covered with antibodies or outfitted with a camera, the microrocket could route to a specific target or image the inside of the stomach, said Wang.
WHAT’S NEW: Previous auto-catalytic micro-motors have functioned by creating oxygen bubbles from hydrogen peroxide. Such a motor was given ...
