A newly developed handheld device uses saliva to screen for breast cancer and has shown encouraging results in preclinical testing.
According to researchers from the University of Florida and National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan, a new handheld gadget detects breast cancer indicators from a tiny sample of spit. Their findings were published in the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B.
“Our device is an excellent choice because it is portable…about the size of your hand and reusable. The testing time is under five seconds per sample, which makes it highly efficient.”, said Hsiao-Hsuan Wan, a UF doctoral student in the Department of Chemical Engineering and the study’s lead author.
The innovative tool operates by applying a saliva sample to a treated test strip with specific antibodies designed to react to cancer biomarkers. Electrical impulses are then transmitted to contact points on the biosensor device. The signals generated are measured and translated into digital information, providing insights into the presence of biomarkers. According to Wan, the results are both quick and easy to interpret.
In a test involving 21 women, the device successfully distinguished between healthy breast tissue, early-stage breast cancer, and advanced breast cancer.
The biosensor design incorporates common components such as glucose testing strips and the open-source hardware-software platform Arduino. This breakthrough brings the potential for a portable and efficient breast cancer screening tool to become a reality.