A Robot To Destroy Breast Cancer Cells

Roland Piquepaille writes "Researchers at the University of Maryland are developing a robot able to detect and destroy breast cancer cells in a single session. After a tumor is located on an MRI, the robot will perform a biopsy of the breast while the patient is inside the scanner. 'If the biopsy displays cancerous cells, the robot will then insert a probe into the breast until it reaches the tumor. The probe will then burn the cancer cells until they are destroyed.' This looks great, but the researchers have only built a prototype. After they refine this robot, they'll need to go through clinical trials and obtain FDA approval. So this is not a robot that will appear on the medical market before several years."

Comments

Maybe, but

[beansprouts]

Whoever approves funding for technologies like this to be developed for the mass market is literally taking money away from actually useful science. We are well over 6Bn people, and it seems that these new technologies are deliberately created to make jobs even more redundant.
What this century needs is better education not better tools to take it away from us (and you know why).
Besides, how many of you trust a robot to fiddle with YOUR bits?

This reminds me of the following joke I was told on a trip to Russia:
An inventor is at a meeting with an investor, explaining to him his innovative idea:
- ...what I'm talking about is a universal shaving machine, much like dispensers you find on train stations, hotels and bars - you drop a coin, stick your head into the outlet, and you come out clean!
- Wait, but isn't everyone's head shape and skin tone different?
- That is true. But this is only the first time around...

Looks like the Russians are on the right bearings in places.