Breast cancer accounts about a third of all cancers diagnosed in women. As with other cancers, early diagnosis is imperative for better prognosis. Current technologies include magnetic resonance imaging systems and ultrasound; however, these techniques can carry high costs. There is also the mammogram, which involves the usage of ionizing X-rays to contrast the denser cancer tissue from the surrounding healthy breast tissue. Although cheaper, mammograms cannot detect less dense cancer tissue that is often found in younger women. Lastly, there is always manually checking for palpability, which is what Dr. Ravi Saraf and Dr. Chieu Van Nguyen used as inspiration for their thin film sensor made out of nanoparticles and polymers.
The device was created by layering multiple materials including polyelectrolytes, gold, aluminum, and others into a ~150nm sheet. More than thirty devices were constructed and tested in over one hundred experiments, and they proved to be robust and stable, as they were stored for more than 6 months exposed to the air. The scientists used a silicone material with embedded lumps to mimic the breast for testing. Ultimately, this electronic skin was able to detect lumps that were as small as 5 millimeters and as deep as 20 millimeters. Most manual detection for lumps only finds breast cancer tissue that have grown larger than 20 millimeters. while the American Cancer Society says that there is a 94 percent survival rate if the breast cancer is found when it is less than 10 millimeters in size. Saraf describes this device to also be able to, in the future, detect early signs of melanoma and other cancers.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln statement: ‘Human Touch’ sensor could improve…
Applied Materials and Interfaces: Tactile Imaging of an Imbedded Palpable Structure…
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