Smartphones will be able to diagnose cancer and papillomavirus
Article by Hyungsoon Im et al. Digital diffraction analysis enables low-cost molecular diagnostics on a smartphone, which appeared in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, describes an invention by American scientists that will allow a patient to diagnose cancer or human papillomavirus within 45 minutes, while the cost of analysis will not exceed $ 1.80.
The device is a plastic structure equipped with a light source, miniature lenses and a place where a sample of the patient's tissue cells is placed. This kind of scanner shines through the test sample, receives its images and uploads them to a special server that performs further processing. Diagnostics, during which the presence of cancer cells or traces of human papillomavirus in the test sample is detected, lasts 45 minutes, and its cost is slightly less than two US dollars.
The researchers have tested their invention and claim that its sensitivity is 100%, and its accuracy is 92%. During the experiments, the device successfully divided the samples presented for analysis into those in which the pathology is at an early stage of development or has already developed, as well as those whose condition does not cause concern. Scientists are confident that the invention will provide significant assistance to doctors in poor countries, that is, where specialists do not have the opportunity to use expensive equipment.
Above is the traditional microscopy of biopsy samples of cervical tissue; below is the digital diffraction diagnostic system that assesses the risk of pathology by the number of microspheres associated with tumor markers in tissue samples. A picture from the Massachusetts General Hospital press release: Smartphone-based device could provide rapid, low-cost molecular tumor diagnosis – VM.
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