A new tool based phones can diagnose the presence of cancer cells in a blood sample. The technology can be taken anywhere, can be used in remote areas where advanced equipment for cancer detection is not available.
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| A team of scientists have developed a method for detecting cervical cancer using smartphone technology. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/1DKimtw) |
Cancer diagnosis usually involves the cells experts called cytologists, high-powered microscopes and other equipment. Cytologists look for cancer cells in blood or tissue samples obtained by biopsy. The technology and skilled personnel are often not available in remote areas, especially in Africa or Asia.
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| The graphic above shows how a blood sample can be mixed with microbeads that bind to cancerous cells (labelled A). When these are placed in a clip on module (B) that attaches to a iPhone camera (C) the microbeads produce distinctive diffraction patterns when they clump around a diseased cell (top right). (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/1DKimtw) |
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| The graphic above shows the internal structure of the diagnosis module that can be attacked to a smartphone. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/1DKimtw) |
But researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston has streamlined the process of using a mobile phone that can be used by anyone who has been trained. This system is called 'D3 Cancer Detection System'.
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| The graphic above shows how the new device works with a iPhone to analyse samples for signs of cancer. (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/1DKimtw) |
In a study involving 25 cell samples from women suspected of having cancer of the cervix, a small camera phone appears with the initial diagnosis in 45 minutes. And it was done with nearly 100 percent accuracy, differentiate "high risk" than "low risk" and non-cancerous cells.
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| The images above show how the microbeads (small white circles in bottom images) clump around cells (dotted lines) in samples that were found to be of high risk of cervical cancer (left) low risk (middle) and benign (right). (Picture from: http://dailym.ai/1DKimtw) |
This test can be done by anyone even at home, using a small sample like drops of blood, and not expensive, only cost about US $ 1.80 for the module, bacteria and small beads. This article about D3 Cancer Detection Systems was published on Monday, April 13, 2015 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | VOA NEWS | DAILY MAIL]
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