Fingertips

摘要

The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer could be improved with a tactile 'e-finger' device that measures mechanical tumour properties. The first planned prototype will be a glove incorporating sensors, hopefully followed by an entirely autonomous robotic probe. Researchers from Heriot-Watt University have received an EPSRC grant of £400,000 to develop the technology, after demonstrating the basic principles in the lab. They experimented on prostate biopsies, performing mechanical tests on the tissue with a specialised hydraulic rig set-up. Crucially, the results showed that mechanical output correlated strongly with the biochemical signals that underpin cancer development.