Researchers from the Department of Physics have built a new diamond-based magnetic field sensor to help find tumours in patients.
A cancer diagnosis is most problematic when cells from the tumour have metastasised (spread) to other organs.
These cells usually travel through a system of tiny tubes in the body called the lymphatic system. Doctors can check lymph nodes in this system to see if the cancer has spread, which helps them decide the best way to treat it.
Stuart Robertson (left), Alex Newman (middle) and Gavin Morley (right) have built a new tool using diamonds to diagnose metastasised breast cancer. This device is ultra-sensitive, handheld and works at long ranges, providing an upgraded solution to a regular challenge that cancer surgeons face.
We caught up with Alex Newman, Physics PhD student and first author of the report, to find out what inspired him, how Warwick helped progress the project and how colleagues can get involved.
What sparked your interest in this area of research?
Alex: Our group is always looking to develop and push our magnetic field sensing devices in multiple directions. We've made the device smaller to make it more portable and so it can be applied to different areas of science and industry, including medical. After having some great conversations with Stuart Robertson and Joseph Hardwicke at the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW), it became clear that a potential application for our optical-fiber-based sensor would be keyhole and endoscopic procedures if we could achieve a size small enough. So, I started working on just that.
How has Warwick helped you to make progress?
Alex: Warwick is a great collaborative workspace. Members of the diamond group that I am a part of are always willing to help out and provide useful discussions about the great science we do. The University has a great research and teaching relationship with the UHCW, which allowed us the opportunity to chat with both Stuart and Joe and help push this work forward.
I am also lucky enough to be part-funded by the United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory (UKNNL), which helped me complete this piece of research. I have had many useful chats with Douglas Offin from UKNNL. As is the case with a lot of projects we take on, we've always had a good working relationship with
Element Six and they have provided us with the synthetic diamond samples to use in our magnetic sensors. In particular, we thank Matthew Markham and Andy Edmonds for providing us with the samples.
Karishma Gokani, Postgraduate (Research) FT, Physics
What are the next steps for this work?
Alex: We are aiming to decrease the size of the sensor so that it can be used for even more laparoscopic procedures (keyhole surgeries). While doing this, we must maintain high levels of sensitivity to allow the probe to detect the low concentrations of iron oxide nanoparticles used in these surgeries.
Is there a way Warwick colleagues can get involved and help?
Alex: We're always looking for opportunities to connect with other people and groups around Warwick to discuss new ideas or develop existing ones. We are also always looking for connections to people outside the University that may be able to help push this work further forward, and help us understand the needs of areas of industry that may find applications for our devices. If other Warwick colleagues think they may have any ideas or maybe they know someone outside the University in industry that might find our work useful, please get in touch with us.
