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Few pains rival that of kidney stones. In India, where an estimated 12% of the population suffers from them at some point, the burden is heavy. For many, oral medication is too slow, while surgery, though effective, is invasive and costly. Patients often oscillate between pain and procedure.
Researchers at the University of Waterloo may have a gentler path forward. They have designed a soft, magnetically guided filament—just a millimeter wide—that can travel through the urinary tract and deliver stone-dissolving treatment precisely where it is needed. Made from a blend of hydrogel and elastomer, and powered by a rotating magnet outside the body, this “robot strip” wiggles its way to the stone. Once there, it releases urease, an enzyme that alters the urine’s pH, helping dissolve the stone until it can pass naturally.
Tiny magnetic ‘robot’ could help dissolve kidney stones faster with less pain
Early lab tests using synthetic urine showed promise: within five days, stones lost nearly a third of their mass. Unlike surgery, the strip itself is designed to exit the body harmlessly.
For India—where hot climates, dietary habits, and limited access to advanced care drive high kidney stone rates—such a minimally invasive, pain-reducing innovation could be transformative. A future where stones melt away without the knife may not be far off.