More accurate diagnosis for women at risk of cervical cancer in Manchester

In collaboration with the Greater Manchester Academic Health Science Network, TRUSTECH has facilitated the introduction of pioneering new technology to improve the speed and accuracy in diagnosing pre-cancerous conditions of the cervix at Central Manchester Hospitals.

Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CMFT) is using pioneering new technology to improve the speed and accuracy in diagnosing pre-cancerous conditions of the cervix.

The Trust has introduced the innovative cervical cancer diagnostic system called ZedScan™ at the Gynaecology department at Saint Mary’s Hospital, Manchester – a centre of excellence in the field of gynaecological oncology, uro-gynaecology and reproductive medicine.

ZedScan™ can measure and detect tissue changes in women identified with an abnormal smear test.

The system offers real-time and more accurate detection of pre-cancerous cells than standard colposcopy (a procedure for examining the cervix), enabling clinicians to make better informed decisions at a patient’s first visit.

It means appropriate treatment can offered immediately to women identified with severe abnormalities or reassurance swiftly provided to patients with no evidence of disease, whilst also reducing the number of biopsies required.

Dr Ursula Winters, Consultant Gynaecologist and lead consultant for colposcopy at Saint Mary’s, said:

“The introduction of Zedscan will provide us with the ability to assess women presenting with abnormal cervical smears more quickly and accurately.”

Having access to the latest in advanced diagnostic technologies such as ZedScan means we can offer our patients efficient and rapid access to appropriate treatments when they need them.

The technology behind the system was developed by Manchester company Zilico Ltd, based at MedTech Centre Incubator, following a collaboration between Professor Brian Brown, a medical physicist at the University of Sheffield, and Professor John Tidy, a consultant gynaecological oncologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

The ZedScan™ system, which uses its patented Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) technology to detect dysplasia and cancer of the cervix, consists of a portable handset, docking station, single use sensor and software application.