Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) and SMU are collaborating to develop microrobots for vitreous hemorrhage mitigation and accelerated recovery.
The project will be led by ARA Senior Research Scientist Louis William Rogowski, PhD, and supported by Min Jun Kim, PhD, of the Robert C. Womack Endowed Chair Professor at SMU’s Lyle School of Engineering.
Bleeding inside the eye from vitreous hemorrhage injuries can lead to months of vision impairment and discomfort, reducing the combat readiness of U.S. armed forces. Researchers will build small-scale microrobots using nanotechnology that can go inside the human eye and break down red blood cells through targeted drug delivery.
“The idea is that this microrobotics approach would be less invasive than current treatment methods and accelerate the recovery of patients. This is the first initial effort to make this idea a reality.”
Louis William Rogowski, Senior Research Scientist
ARA’s Randolph, VT location will host the laboratory facilities needed to carry out the experiments in conjunction with SMU’s facilities in Dallas, TX. By the end of the effort, the team will produce innovative microrobots, advanced control systems, and quantitative data showing the effectiveness of the treatment strategy.
Several SMU graduate students will participate in the research in support of their studies and consultants from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus will also lend their expertise to ensure the effort’s success.
ARA and its partners are leveraging microrobotics for numerous applications including targeted drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, environmental remediation, encryption, and defense applications. ARA is proud to partner with medical, academic, and military communities to develop leading-edge health solutions.
The project is sponsored by the Medical Technology Enterprise Consortium (MTEC) and the Defense Health Agency. This effort is fully sponsored by the Government under Other Transaction Number HT9425-25-9-0004.
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