Technology that can detect tumours and guide robots to remove them is set to be rolled out at a local hospital later this year.

The 'Terabotics' project is being run by Professor Emma Pickwell-MacPherson at the University of Warwick, and will be trialled at University Hospital Coventry in September.

Major funding has been secured for the five-year project, largely from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

It could lead to real-time diagnosis, shorter waiting periods for operations and more comprehensive removal of tumours. This will reduce the need for follow-up surgery.

Those attending cancer services at University Hospital will be offered the opportunity to participate alongside their routine care. At present, diagnosis of skin cancer relies upon a visual inspection and a biopsy.

There are more than 150,000 new cases of skin cancer in the UK each year, whilst bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer with about 42,000 new cases annually.

How does it work?

The technology uses probes that use terahertz (THz) radiation, or T-rays, to scan for tumours under the skin.

Medical-grade surgical robots will be adapted to use these scans to guide them in, removing tumours in skin and colorectal cancer patients more precisely.

advertisement

Principal Investigator Professor Emma Pickwell-MacPherson, said: "Somebody might already be diagnosed with cancer but the actual extent of that cancer may not be known.

"For example, in skin cancer patients, the THz probe will image the visible tumour and the surrounding area to better determine the extent of the tumour that is beneath the surface.

"This will enable the whole tumour to be removed in one go, rather than incrementally. In turn, this enables better planning for reconstruction and speeds up the procedure."