Researchers develop 3D printed breast cancer detecting robot

3D printing has touched a number of different industries, but one that has seen significant innovations over the last couple years has been none other than the medical field. Thanks to its ease of adoption, 3D printing is helping to move medicine to the next level in the fight against cancer. Following a breakthrough in 3D printed ovaries for women who have been left infertile due to cancer earlier this year, researchers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, in collaboration with Ziekenhuis Groep Twente, have now created the world’s smallest, most accurate 3D printed biopsy robot for use in detecting breast cancer.

In 2017, there are an expected 252,710 new cases of breast cancer in women to occur, with another 2,470 new cases for men in the United States alone. As a cancer that affects millions of people each year around the world, recognizing breast cancer as early as possible could mean life or death. Because of the inaccuracies that can occur due to human error, this new robot could be a lifesaving tool for breast cancer diagnosis.

Called the Stormram 4, the robot works by collecting cells needed for biopsies, with an accuracy that greatly outweighs that when done with a human hand. During manual MRI breast biopsy procedures, the process can last a very long time and can sometimes prove ineffective, due to the loss of cells. In addition to this, doctors have to use a thick needle to extract the tissue samples, a process that sometimes has to be done multiple times.