Miniature robots can now find cancer inside your body
What's the story
In a groundbreaking development, scientists have developed micro-robots that can perform non-invasive 3D scans to detect and diagnose colorectal cancer in real-time.
The innovation, a result of collaboration between UK universities, could replace traditional biopsies and significantly reduce diagnosis and treatment waiting times.
The tech could be key in detecting, staging, and even treating colorectal cancer in one non-invasive procedure.
Technology breakthrough
Micro-robots provide virtual 3D scans to detect cancer
The micro-robots were created by a team of engineers, scientists, and clinicians from the University of Leeds, University of Glasgow, and University of Edinburgh. They provide doctors with virtual 3D scans for cancer detection.
The research published in Science Robotics is the first successful use of a magnetically controlled robot to produce high-resolution ultrasound images within the gastrointestinal tract.
Innovative approach
Oloid magnetic endoscope could replace traditional biopsies
The device, called the oloid magnetic endoscope (OME), is approximately 2cm wide, similar to a small coin. It could replace conventional biopsies that take weeks to process.
"For the first time, this research enables us to reconstruct a 3D ultrasound image taken from a probe deep inside the gut - something that has never been done before," said Pietro Valdastri, Professor and Chair in Robotics and Autonomous Systems at Leeds University.
Patient comfort
Advanced robotics paired with medical ultrasound imaging
Postgraduate researcher Nikita Greenidge, a member of Leeds's STORM Lab, and lead author of the paper said, "By combining our advanced robotics with medical ultrasound imaging, we take this innovation one step ahead of traditional colonoscopy."
She added this allows doctors to diagnose and treat in a single procedure — eliminating the wait between diagnosis and intervention.
This not only enhances patient comfort but also reduces waiting times and minimizes repeat procedures.
Health implications
Early detection of colorectal cancer is highly treatable
Greenidge stressed the significance of early detection in treating colorectal cancer, one of the most common causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide.
She said this research offers a new avenue that could greatly enhance early diagnosis with a minimally invasive technique.
Professor Sandy Cochran of the University of Glasgow, who led the ultrasound aspect of the study, promised that "ultrasound imaging is safe, inexpensive, and can be deployed exactly where it's needed."