A Cheaper, Non-contact Cancer Sensing Probe

Guoqiang Yu is an associate professor at the University of Kentucky in the Center for Biomedical Engineering. Yu has been developing novel diffuse optical devices that can noninvasively measure blood flow, oxygenation and metabolic rate of a tumor in the body. His original design is placed on the patient's neck and can monitor changes in a tumor in the neck or head. His design is cheaper, safer, and easier to use than the MRI and CT machines that are used now. His device can also be used continuously to determine how effective the treatment and radiation is working to remove the cancer.

Because breast cancer is so soft, it is hard to place his product on the breast with constant pressure and coverage of the tumor. So Yu is designing a new, non-contact probe that can do all the same measurements as the contact device without ever touching the skin. There have been early successes in the research but they have also run into some technical challenges with breathing and outside light affecting the measurements they are trying to take.

I choose this article because my friend's Aunt recently received news that she has breast and lymphatic cancer. With this new technology, the cancer could be detected earlier and cheaper, and also treated more efficiently and effectively.

Linked here.