The tiny robot which could revolutionise cancer diagnosis

A tiny magnetic robot which can take 3D scans deep within the body could revolutionise early cancer detection, researchers say.

A team of engineers from the University of Leeds say the robots provide the first high-resolution ultrasound images inside the gastrointestinal tract, or gut.

Academics say it paves the way to transform the diagnosis and treatment of several forms of cancer by enabling "virtual", non-invasive biopsies.

Pietro Valdastri, who coordinated the research, said: “For the first time, this research enables us to reconstruct a 3D ultrasound image taken from a probe deep inside the gut.

“This approach enables in-situ tissue analysis and diagnosis of colorectal cancer, with immediate results. The process of diagnosing colorectal cancer currently requires a tissue sample to be removed, then sent to a lab, with results taking from one to three weeks.”

The robots, measuring 21mm in diameter - about the size of a 1p piece - use a 3D shape known as an oloid to give them a previously impossible range of motion, so that they can roll inside the body.

The resulting scans are sophisticated enough to allow clinicians to make cross-sectional images mimicing those generated by a standard biopsy, in which a sample of tissue is sliced into thin layers and placed on a slide to be examined under a microscope.

Postgraduate researcher Nikita Greenidge, a member of Leeds’ STORM Lab, in the school of electronic and electrical engineering, is lead author of the paper.

She said: “By combining our advanced robotics with medical ultrasound imaging, we take this innovation one step ahead of traditional colonoscopy, allowing doctors to diagnose and treat in a single procedure — eliminating the wait between diagnosis and intervention.

"This not only makes the process more comfortable for patients but also reduces waiting times, minimises repeat procedures, and alleviates the anxiety of waiting for potential cancer results.”

Ms Greenidge said, while the research had been conducted in the colon, the rolling properties of the oloid shape could be applied to a variety of magnetic medical robots, potentially expanding its applications to other areas of the body.

“Our findings suggest new possibilities for interdisciplinary approaches to medical robotics, showing how mathematical principles like simple geometry can solve real-world healthcare challenges,” she said.

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