{
  "id": 7840025,
  "title": "Soft-Robotic Magnetic Microfluidic Catheter for Delivery of Aqueous-Based Dual-Component Embolic Formulations",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/soft-robotic-magnetic-microfluidic-catheter-for-delivery-of-aqueous",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-16T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.14.751422v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Transcatheter embolization necessitates materials capable of being guided through complex blood vessels, promptly solidifying in situ, remaining transparent under X-ray imaging, and ideally carrying therapeutic substances harmlessly. Introducing a fully aqueous, dual-component PEI-PEG hydrogel via a soft-robotic microfluidic catheter, which maintains the precursors apart until they converge at the tip's millimeter-scale mixing chamber. Rapid amide cross-linking converts the liquid pair into a self-supporting gel in mere seconds, circumventing organic solvents and thwarting catheter clogging. By manipulating precursor proportions and flow dynamics, the gel's rigidity and viscosity can be fine-tuned across a wide spectrum, enabling occlusion of both high-flow arteries and sensitive micro-vessels using the same chemistry. This platform was evaluated in three ascending models. Initially, in ex-vivo perfused human placenta, the hydrogel effectively filled targeted branches without leakage or fragmentation, showcasing controlled delivery in clinically relevant blood vessels. Subsequently, in three pig embolizations involving the splenic, hepatic, and ascending pharyngeal arteries, the material attained stable, targeted occlusion without displacement, vascular constriction, or recanalization, exhibiting flawless compatibility with conventional interventional procedures. Lastly, in rats with orthotopic liver tumors, drug-loaded hydrogel, delivered through the hepatic artery, concentrated doxorubicin within tumors while preserving healthy tissue, affirming its potential for precision chemoembolization. These findings establish the PEI-PEG hydrogel and microfluidic catheter as a unified, imaging-guided tool that merges resilient mechanical occlusion with targeted drug delivery, presenting a biocompatible alternative to contemporary liquid embolics and broadening the scope of minimally invasive embolization procedures.",
  "summary": "Transcatheter embolization requires materials that can be steered through tortuous vessels, solidify rapidly in situ, remain clearly visible under fluoroscopy, and, ideally, carry therapeutic cargo without harming tissue. To meet these requirements, we present a fully water-based, two-component PEI-PEG hydrogel delivered through a soft-robotic, microfluidic catheter that keeps the precursors…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}