The Arizona spinout plans to develop a biopsy needle that could improve the chances of identifying precision treatments for cancer.

University of Arizona spun out US-based oncological services spinout called Data Driven Diagnostics Services (D3Sciences) on Tuesday to commercialise a needle instrument that could increase the quantities of human tissue collected during biopsies.

The tool is designed to collect material from outside the needle, potentially amassing seven times as much tissue as conventional instruments.

Better samples from oncological biopsies could improve pathological testing and facilitate the prescription of genetic and molecular-based therapies rather than conventional chemotherapy, which risks severe side effects.

The approach is based on work by Michael Larson, a resident physician in the Department of Medical Imaging at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, part of University of Arizona Health Sciences.

Larson worked with Charles Hennemeyer, assistant professor of medical imaging and division chief of vascular and interventional radiology at Arizona’s College of Medicine – Tucson.

Tech Launch Arizona, the university’s tech transfer office, helped the inventors protect their intellectual property, build a business strategy and form an executive team that includes Nicholas Lim, a former president of digital media management firm Chosun.

Lim participated in TLA’s Commercialization Partners initiative, which connects executive and entrepreneurs with Arizona researchers. He met Larson and Hennemeyer on the TLA leg of NSF Innovation Corps, a commercialisation initiative sponsored by US government-funded research agency National Science Foundation.

Doug Hockstad, assistant vice-president of TLA, said: “As cancer therapies evolve toward more personalised and now individualised approaches, diagnostic and prognostic testing will develop with increasing speed.

“This next-generation biopsy instrument has the promise to deliver the tissue samples needed to perform these leading-edge tests.”