The robot you swallow to test for cancer

The pill-sized gadget will be able to test for tumours inside the body and transmit findings back to a computer.

It will also have a miniature video camera to capture around 40,000 images of the intestines.

It will be able to test for tumours inside the body and transmit findings back to a computer.

Researchers behind the revolutionary device predict it could eventually save thousands of patients from painful biopsies or surgery to investigate cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, which affects up to 2,000 people a year in England and Wales.

Because the camera images are instantly beamed back to a PC, there is no need to retrieve the robot once it has finished.

Instead, it just passes through the body naturally and disappears down the toilet.

The extraordinary invention, which is being funded by the European Union to the tune of around £1.8 million, is based on existing camera technology, called PillCam.

This is already used in some NHS hospitals to detect conditions such as Crohn's disease.

PillCam uses a similar pillshaped camera to look for signs of inflammation in the lining of the colon.

But while PillCam takes only pictures of inflammation, the new robot pill will be able to carry out tests inside the gut to distinguish cancerous tissue from healthy tissue.

It will then alert doctors by transmitting its findings, in many cases ruling out the need for surgery.

The robot is expected to work in a number of ways. It will analyse fluid given off by tissues for clues about whether cancerous cells are present.

Rather than have the robot simply collect these fluids and then examine them in the laboratory, experts say the analysis is best done inside the body.

That's because the fluids could be destroyed during the journey through the harsh environment of the digestive tract.

The device will also be equipped to spot cancer by emitting light and analysing the way it is reflected by tissues in the gut.

Cancerous tissue tends to absorb more light because it creates a network of blood vessels to feed the tumour with oxygen.

Doctors viewing from a computer screen will also be able to 'park' the robot and take a closer look at suspect tissue.

Existing camera devices travel through the body courtesy of the muscle contractions in the digestive tract.

But this means it's impossible to control their movement from outside.

Researchers say this is a bit like peering through a train window, with no way to turn back and get a better look.

To control the new robot, scientists are experimenting with special grippers that can be activated by an electrical signal outside the body, as well as using magnets.