Photos: Medical tech of the future, from robo-pills to cyber-surgeons

While the debate over the future of technology in the NHS rages on, the next generation of surgical tech is already on the way.

This is the legged camera pill, a robotic prototype developed by Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, part of the University of Pisa in Italy.

Once swallowed by a patient, the device is moved by remote control around the stomach and further down the digestive system using its small mechanical legs, which grip the side of the intestine walls.

It is hoped this kind of device will be more comfortable for a patient than the more traditional method of investigating their stomach - a fibre-optic endoscope - which has to be pushed into the body by a clinician.

The device - developed between 2003 and 2005 with the support of the European Commission - is on show as part of an exhibition on medical robots.

You can see the exhibition at London's Hunterian Museum at the Royal College of Surgeons of England, which chronicles the history of medical treatment.

Photo credit: Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna