PROJECT SYNOPSIS

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequent malignancy in men, with a worldwide incidence of 60-99 new cases/100,000 a year. In Italy, PCa represents 18% of male cancers and accounts for 8% of mortality. The aim of this project is to design and develop new medical devices to improve our ability to diagnose and cure PCa. First, we want to generate a high-precision device for prostate cancer biopsy, based on the implementation of a robotic arm allowing targeted bioptic sampling based on the information gained from magnetic resonance and ultrasound images. Second, we want to develop an advanced prototype for treatment of PCa, exploiting the selective effects of micro-mechanical vibration stress on tumor cells, thus killing them while sparing neighbour healthy cells. The robotic system for prostate-guided needle biopsy is conceived as a system capable of self-learning through the storage and processing of maps derived from prostatic imaging.