Developing intra-operative cancer detection technology for key-hole laparoscopic cancer surgery

The project objective is to develop an entirely new detector technology for use in cancer surgery. Surgery remains the primary treatment option for many types of cancer. However, despite recent advances in medical imaging, surgeons surprisingly still rely on sight and touch to remove cancer, often leaving behind cancerous deposits. Cancers that require keyhole or laparoscopic surgery such as lung and colorectal cancer are even more challenging due to the restricted view of the surgical site. The project will therefore develop a technology capable of precisely locating cancer in real-time during keyhole surgery to help aid the detection and removal of cancerous tissue. The technology is based on a recent innovation in beta particle detection. Lightpoint Medical Ltd has secured the exclusive world-wide licence to develop and commercialise this innovation. The project will enable the company to develop the technology from concept to a basic working model that will be tested and validated in a laboratory. Successful commercialisation of the technology will generate important employment and growth opportunities for the wider UK economy. Critically, the project has the potential to have a transformative impact on patient outcomes.