Researchers at the Universities of Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh have developed a tiny magnetic robot that can take 3D scans from deep within the body, potentially revolutionising early cancer detection. According to the team, this is the first time high-resolution three-dimensional ultrasound images taken from a probe deep inside the gastrointestinal tract have been generated.
The robot paves the way to transforming the diagnosis and treatment of several forms of cancer by enabling ‘virtual biopsies’ – non-invasive scans that provide immediate diagnostic data. These scans allow doctors to detect, stage and potentially treat lesions in a single procedure, eliminating the need for physical biopsies.
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The perhaps surprising key to the team’s success was using a little-known 3D shape, the oloid. This gave the magnetic medical robot a previously impossible range of motion – the roll, essential for precise navigation and imaging inside the body.
The team integrated the oloid shape and its unique rolling motion into a new magnetic flexible endoscope (MFE). They equipped it with a small, high-frequency imaging device to capture detailed 3D images of internal tissues.
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‘For the first time, this research enables us to reconstruct a 3D ultrasound image taken from a probe deep inside the gut,’ said Pietro Valdastri, professor and chair in robotics and autonomous systems and director of the STORM Lab. ‘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 imaging device – a 28 MHz micro-ultrasound array – creates a high-resolution, 3D reconstruction of the area it scans. From this virtual reconstruction, clinicians can make cross-sectional images that mimic 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.
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High-frequency, or high-resolution ultrasound, is different from the ultrasound most of us are familiar with, which is used to examine a foetus or internal organs. The high-frequency/resolution ultrasound probe used in this study enables users to see features on a microscopic level, down to tissue layer-level detail.
While 3D ultrasound can already be performed in blood vessels and the rectum, this work opens the possibility of performing 3D scans deeper in the gastrointestinal tract.
‘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,’ said postgraduate researcher Nikita Greenidge, a member of Leeds’ STORM Lab in the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering. ‘This makes the process more comfortable for patients, reduces waiting times, minimises repeat procedures and alleviates the anxiety of waiting for potential cancer results.
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‘Colorectal cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the UK and globally, but if detected early, it is highly treatable,’ she added. ‘This research presents a new approach that could significantly improve early diagnosis with a minimally invasive approach and could also, in the future, facilitate targeted ultrasound-triggered drug delivery for more effective treatment.’
The research found that using the oloid – a shape formed by two intersecting perpendicular circles – significantly enhanced the dexterity, diagnostic capabilities and autonomy of magnetic flexible endoscopes and magnetic medical robots overall.
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The oloid magnetic endoscope (OME) has a diameter of just 21 millimetres – the same as a 1p coin – and was 3D-printed out of resin, meaning the robot could still roll but was a practical size and design for clinical applications such as colonoscopy. Its movement was tested on various surfaces simulating the colon, oesophagus and stomach structures.
To advance the technology toward human trials, the team first conducted tests in an artificial colon, followed by studies in pigs, a necessary step in meeting regulatory requirements for medical device approval. They used a robotically controlled external permanent magnet, a platform previously developed at Leeds, which enables both joystick and autonomous control of the OME. Images from an embedded camera and a magnetic localisation system assisted navigation.
The results demonstrated that the system could successfully perform controlled rolling and sweeping motions inside the colon; generate high-resolution 3D ultrasound scans for accurate diagnosis and identify lesions in gastrointestinal tissue, showcasing its potential for advanced medical imaging and early disease detection.
Ms Greenidge said that while this research was conducted in the colon, the rolling properties of the oloid shape could be applied to various magnetic medical robots, potentially expanding their applications to other areas of the body.
The team will now set about collecting all the data that will allow them to conduct human trials, which they hope could start in 2026. The Leeds platform for robotic colonoscopy without ultrasound capabilities is already undergoing human trials and being commercialised by Atlas Endoscopy, a Leeds-based company formed by the STORM Lab.
The research has been published in Science Robotics.