This Pen Can Diagnose Cancer in 10 Seconds
The MasSpec Pen is a real-time diagnostic tool created by researchers at the University of Texas at Austin.
In a new study published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, the researchers report that their handheld device (which is not yet FDA-approved) uses tiny droplets of water to analyze human tissue samples for cancer with 96% accuracy.
It’s a gentle, simple chemical process, says study author Livia Schiavinato Eberlin, an assistant professor of chemistry at UT Austin. It’s highly specific and highly sensitive. The fact that it’s non-destructive brings a new approach to cancer diagnosis.
Getting rid of all cancerous tissue while also preventing any harm to healthy tissue is a delicate process. When operating on a woman with breast cancer, for example...