A sensor mounted on the wearable device ‘FAST’ produced by a joint research team such as Georgia Tech and Stanford University in the US. It is made by placing a thin layer of gold on top of an elastic polymer. Provided by Stanford University
A technology that can detect the size of a tumor just by attaching it to the skin has been developed. This is expected to enable fast and inexpensive tumor treatment.
A joint research team, including Georgia Tech and Stanford University, developed a wearable device that can measure changes in tumor size by attaching it to the skin and published it in the September 16th issue of the international scientific journal ‘Science Advances’.
In general, the effectiveness of cancer treatment is a task that takes several weeks to detect the size of a tumor, either by measuring the size of the lesion with a caliper or by using the ‘bioluminescence measurement’ technique. This acted as an obstacle to the rapid development of new drugs.
The research team made a sensor by coating a thin layer of gold on a flexible polymer like skin, and then attached an electronic device to it to complete the wearable device ‘FAST’. The FAST sensor has the property of expanding or contracting as the tumor progresses. If the sensor expands, the gold layer cracks and the resistance increases. Conversely, when the tumor shrinks, the sensor contracts and the conductivity improves.
The sensor measures the resistance value, converts it into tumor size data, and sends it to the user’s smartphone app via Bluetooth. The device can also detect differences in the micrometer (micrometer/millionth of a meter) level. The research team succeeded in measuring changes in the size and shape of tumors while the mice were free to move through a mouse experiment.
The research team emphasized the economic feasibility of the device, saying that it cost $60 (regarding 83,000 won) to assemble the wearable device used in the rat experiment and can be reused. “With an incredibly simple design, we can make the oncology process significantly faster and cheaper,” said Alex Abramson, a professor of chemical and molecular bioengineering at Georgia Tech.
He continued, “Current devices can only detect changes in tumors on or near the skin, but we want to develop an implantable device that can track tumors located deep in the body.”
Appearance of ‘FAST’, a wearable device that can detect tumor size down to the micrometer level. Provided by Stanford University
