From Mouth to Joint: The Use of Microrobotic Bristles to Sample and Remove Biofilms From Confined Anatomic Locations Amanda R. W Hopster

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Hopster, Amanda R. W., author.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania. Cell and Molecular Biology., degree granting institution.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

0410.

0541.

0565.

0771.

0992.

Local Subjects:

0410.

0541.

0565.

0771.

0992.

Physical Description:

1 electronic resource (164 pages)

Contained In:

Dissertations Abstracts International 87-07B

Place of Publication:

Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, 2025

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Pathogenic biofilms forming in anatomically inaccessible spaces are a constant and chronic challenge in medicine due to microbial resistance to current therapies. Microrobotics offers a powerful option to combat biofilm infections as they combine mechanical biofilm disruption, antimicrobial killing, and wireless remote targeting to access previously unreachable regions. Gingivitis is caused by oral biofilms that form in the interproximal space between teeth along the gingival margin, become dysbiotic, and cause inflammation that can progress into periodontal disease. The pathogens associated with periodontal disease are implicated in many systemic conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and colorectal cancer. Septic arthritis is an infection of the joint that is made more difficult to diagnose and treat by the floating biofilms or microbial "aggregates" that form in synovial fluid cloistered in the narrow intra-articular space. These aggregates contribute to the poor sensitivity of traditional cultivation-based diagnostic techniques and to the difficulty in treating these infections with conventional antimicrobial drugs. As an answer to these seemingly disparate but actually very similar set of anatomic and medical challenges, we have engineered a hand-held device that magnetically controls the motion of iron oxide nanoparticles to form microrobotic bristles (MRB) to target and remove biofilms from these confined, hard-to-reach spaces. MRB mechanically disrupt biofilms in the inter-proximal/intra-articular areas, obtain diagnostic samples, and catalytically eradicate pathogenic microbes. We study MRB's operational mechanisms and assess their performance in vitro, in a novel porcine model of gingivitis, and in an ex vivo lapine model of septic arthritis

Notes:

Advisors: Koo, Michel Hyun; Schaer, Thomas P. Committee members: Lee, Robert J.; Volk, Susan W.; Spiller, Kara; van Eps, Andrew

Source: Dissertations Abstracts International, Volume: 87-07, Section: B.

Ph.D. University of Pennsylvania 2025

Vendor supplied data

Local Notes:

School code: 0175

ISBN:

9798276005188

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license