Staff at one of the State's leading research centres have developed miniature devices that can be used to monitor and treat cancer, and diagnose various strains of tuberculosis.

A team at the National Microelectronic Research Centre, which specialises in the area of diagnostics, yesterday demonstrated a number of therapeutic devices it has developed for monitoring and treating cancer at the centre's technology forum.

Prof Gabriel Crean, director of the Cork-based centre, told the forum that this kind of technology presented a huge opportunity to develop high-tech medical diagnostic industry in Ireland.

But he warned that strategic research focusing on these technologies was imperative to sustaining the Republic's future growth in microtechnologies and information and communications technology (ICT).

The researchers adapted sensors originally developed to monitor long-term radiation in space to monitor radiation doses in cancer treatment.

In an ongoing partnership with the Cork Cancer Research Centre, staff have also developed equipment to deliver drugs directly to cancer tumours.

Researchers have also developed an analysis technique that can detect strains of tuberculosis in 26 minutes. This is a significant improvement on the current standard, which is three hours.

Prof Crean said ICT continued to be of crucial importance to the Irish economy.