MRI-Inspired High-Resolution Localization for Biomedical Applications: Artificial Nuclear Spins on a Chip

Significant advances have been made recently toward technologies such as smart pills to image the gastrointestinal tract [1], distributed sensors to map the function of the brain [2], and microscale swimming robots to access organs through the bloodstream [3]. Such technologies promise new ways to diagnose and treat diseases of local pathology, including neurodegeneration, autoimmune disease, cancer, and atherosclerosis. In fact, wireless microscale devices that navigate the body to diagnose and treat disease are key elements of the future of medicine, addressing localized malfunction in neurological, cardiovascular, autoimmune, cancer, and other disease areas.