Fabrication of a spiral type magnetic micromachine for trailing a wire

A magnetic micromachine capable of trailing a wire was fabricated. The micromachine was constructed of a permanent magnet, a copper tube, and a spiral shape made of a tungsten wire. The magnet was magnetized to the diametrical direction. When a rotational magnetic field was applied, the machine rotated and moved in a silicone oil. It was experimentally found that the blade angle of the machine that produced the largest thrust force was 45/spl deg/ . The micromachine was able to trail a wire in a narrow waterway simulating a blood vessel. These results show that the magnetic micromachine has great potential for navigating medical catheters.