Russia's robotic surgery system to debut in 2018

Doctors demonstrate the usage of latest imported robotic surgery machine at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, July 28, 2011.  (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) 

MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- A robotic system capable of treating cancer will be developed and put into testing in Russia next year, Russian newspaper Izvestia reported on Friday.

The system, based on a personal computer, can work in manual, semi-automatic and automatic modes to treat prostate cancer, the report said.

"The control system will be used to move the surgical instrument on the basis of an ultrasound in real time," said Nikolai Gryaznov, deputy director of the Central Research Institute of Scientific and Technical Information. 

The first prototype of the system will be developed by the end of 2018, and its testing will last for about one year. 

The Russian Ministry of Education and Science has provided financial assistance to the new system and says that it can improve the effectiveness of cancer treatment.