Prototype Device Simplifies Biopsies for Lung Cancer Patient

[RandyW]

Prototype Device Simplifies Biopsies for Lung Cancer Patients

January 01, 2009

by Becky Jacoby, Reporter

The Robopsy, a prototype medical device that assists with biopsies for lung cancer patients, won the $10,000 top prize at the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) 2008 show.

The device was the invention of a team of engineers from MIT and a part of ASME's Innovation Showcase (IShow) where engineering school students can bridge the chasm of curriculum and business world. Nine finalists representing eight universities competed.

A disposable telerobot, the Robopsy sits atop the body of a patient during a CAT scan. During the scan, an interventional radiologist manipulates and inserts a probe remotely.

The MIT team wrote in their report, "For our initial target market, the percutaneous lung biopsy procedure, we will target smaller potentially cancerous lesions, thus enabling earlier diagnosis, while reducing the complication rate and decreasing procedure time." The report accounted for half the total score and was judged prior to the live presentation.

Other Honorees

A team from the University of California, San Francisco won second prize for Nano Precision Medical, a titania nanoporous membrane injectable drug delivery therapy system.

Third prize was awarded to a team from Johns Hopkins University for SurgyPack, a medical device that improves the process of bowel packing during abdominal surgeries.