Researchers built prototypes of a handheld device to test breast cancer

Cambridge Consultants in collaboration with xenBio Fluidics have developed CliniHub a credit-card-sized device which can detect a range of diseases from breast cancer to MRSA. The device is fitted with antibody-coated polystyrene beads containing a fluorescent label, these antibodies in interaction with specific disease markers cause the beads to bundle up, which sends out a signal via a red fluorescent LED light to a built-in light detector based on low-cost photodiode technology. The developers have created prototypes of the device and are certain that it will be good in testing breast cancer at the user’s convenience and would suggest if the user needs to go in for a mammogram scan. The developers wish to have this device ready as a sub-$100 breast-cancer scanner, besides using the same to scan a sore throat for infections etc. Explaining if the device can replace mammograms, Simon Burnell of Cambridge Consultants says:

clinihub handheld disease detector

We need to know a lot more about the sensitivity and specificity of such tests before mammograms can be replaced. And what if such a test is positive but imaging cannot identify the site of the cancer?

Via: NewScientist