UK scientists develop real Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver

Scientists at the United Kingdom's Dundee University have made their own version of a sonic screwdriver like the one used in the popular TV series, "Doctor Who."

 

But the tool, instead of picking locks or repairing electronic items, may be most useful in the field of medicine, according to a report on Radiotimes.com.

 

"Like Doctor Who's own device, our sonic screwdriver is capable of much more than just spinning things around," it quoted Dr. Mike MacDonald of the Institute for Medical Science and Technology at Dundee as saying.

 

The prototype machine used ultrasound waves to lift and rotate a rubber disc floating in a cylinder of water.

 

It was the first time ultrasound has been made to turn objects instead of simply pushing them, Radiotimes.com said.

 

"This experiment not only confirms a fundamental physics theory but also demonstrates a new level of control over ultrasound beams which can also be applied to non-invasive ultrasound surgery, targeted drug delivery and ultrasonic manipulation of cells," said MacDonald.

 

Radiotimes.com said that while surgeons already use ultrasound to treat patients, they may gain the ability to steer objects like drug capsules to precise locations.

 

British Broadcasting Co. (BBC), which airs the "Doctor Who" series, said the results of the sonic screwdriver experiment will be published in the American Physical Society's journal Physical Review Letters.

 

It added the research also forms part of a UK-wide Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council project known as Sonotweezers.

 

Sonotweezers aims to bring dexterity and flexibility to ultrasonic manipulation, allowing applications in a wide range of topics including regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, developmental biology and physics.

 

"In the popular BBC TV series, Doctor Who uses his sonic screwdriver to perform medical scans, remotely control other devices and pick locks," the BBC noted. — TJD, GMA News