UK researchers create ‘world’s largest’ microchip for medical imaging

The 12.8cm2 wafer scale chip, dubbed DynAMITe, is said to be 200 times larger than the processing chips currently used in pcs and laptops. The researchers believe it will enable doctors to diagnose cancer and see the impact of radiotherapy treatment far more precisely than ever before. According to Nigel Allinson, Distinguished Professor of Image Engineering at Lincoln, who led the team, the images the chip produces show very clearly the impact of radiation on tumours as well as aid the detection in the earliest stages. "It is also super strong, being able to survive many years of exposure to radiation," she said. The project has been funded by the EPSRC and involves medical physicists at the Institute of Cancer Research, Royal Marsden Hospital, who are currently testing out the technology.