Can selfies diagnose cancer?
This, at least, is what a research team at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US claims, according to which the camera... of mobile phones can be used to detect cervical cancer and HPV, a human papillomavirus that can lead to this type of cancer.
As estimated by Ralph Weislender, head of the research team, digital holography, the three-dimensional creation of cell images through a smartphone-compatible device, could contribute to the detection and diagnosis of cancer.
For the development of an effective diagnostic tool, the Weisslander team initially had to «program» various molecules, such as those collected during a Papanikolaou Test, so that they would refract light differently. To achieve this, they added microfragments which they connected to specific molecules so that these would refract light in a different way.
The researchers then inserted the Pap smear sample into the device they developed, which is compatible with all “smart” mobile phones. The more microspheres visible in the photo, the greater the risk of developing cervical cancer. Finally, this data is sent to a computer, which reconstructs the image of the cells that are visible and sends it to the mobile phone along with the results. This process costs $1.80 (about 1.60 euros) and takes 45 minutes.
The device was able to distinguish women who were at high risk for developing cervical cancer from those who were not at particular risk, and also to detect the presence of the HPV virus with great accuracy.
Source: planet-greece.blogspot.com/
