October 14, 2008

Robot cancer killer

This may sound a little like a sci fi film idea, but a professor at the University of Maryland has developed a robot, which can seek out and destroy breast cancer cells all in one go, making the diagnosis and treatment possible, cutting down on wasted time.

Because the device is made from titanium and stainless steel, this will mean that it can work in conjunction with an MRI scanner. This will enable the treatment to start off with a biopsy and then insert a probe into the tissue to kill the cancer.

The machine will burn the cells until they have been entirely wiped out. This sort of treatment may be some time off, but the principle may even be able to be applied to other treatments too, making hospital treatments a bit like going to the dentist.

Source [Gizmodo]