Piecewise-Smooth Dynamics of Micro-Robot Interactions with Cancer Cells in the Gastrointestinal Circulation

Bowel cancer may begin spreading to other parts of the body long before it is diagnosed, often years after the initial malignant transformation. Metastasis occurs when cancer cells invade nearby capillaries or lymphatic vessels, travel through the circulation, and form secondary tumours. While larger metastases can be detected through imaging, early metastatic cells often remain undetectable using current diagnostic methods. Moreover, no widely available blood test exists to reliably identify malignant cells circulating in the bloodstream. This project aims to develop novel mathematical frameworks to analyse the sensing capabilities of micro-robots for detecting hard-to-visualise early metastases within the gastrointestinal circulation. A particular focus will be on the piecewise-smooth dynamics governing the interactions between micro-robots and cancer cells in a fluidic environment. By leveraging nonlinear dynamics, this research will provide new insights into how micro-robots can detect, characterise, and track metastatic cells in real time. The study will combine theoretical modelling with numerical simulations to explore micro-robotic behaviour under varying physiological conditions. The outcomes of this research could advance the development of next-generation robotic diagnostic tools, offering a new approach to early cancer detection. By enhancing the ability to identify metastases at an earlier stage, this work has the potential to improve patient outcomes and inform future strategies for cancer diagnosis and treatment.