Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a hexachromatic camera that can assist with tumor imaging during surgical removal. The device is inspired by the mantis shrimp which can perceive twelve colors, compared with just three colors that can be perceived by the human eye. The new camera can visualize tumors in the (Read more...)
Tag: Oncology
Ultrasonic Biopsy Needle for Larger Tissue Samples
Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed an ultrasonically actuated needle that can retrieve a large amount of tissue during a biopsy, without the pain and complications associated with using bigger needles. The technique could be very useful when clinicians need to obtain tissue samples for molecular tumor diagnostics, since obtai (Read more...)
Ultrasonic Biopsy Needle for Larger Tissue Samples
Researchers at Aalto University in Finland have developed an ultrasonically actuated needle that can retrieve a large amount of tissue during a biopsy, without the pain and complications associated with using bigger needles. The technique could be very useful when clinicians need to obtain tissue samples for molecular tumor diagnostics, since obtai (Read more...)
Software Spots Suspicious Skin Lesions on Smartphone Photos
Melanoma, which accounts for over 70 percent of all skin cancers, occurs when pigment producing cells called melanocytes multiply uncontrollably. This cancer is typically diagnosed through visual inspection of Suspicious Pigmented Lesions (SPLs), and such early detection of lesions in a physician’s office are often life-saving. However, there (Read more...)
Implantable Pump Delivers Chemotherapy to Brain Tumors
Researchers at Linköping University, Sweden, and the Medical University of Graz, Austria have developed an electrical pump that can precisely deliver chemotherapeutic drugs into the brain. The technology is conceived as being implantable into brain tumor resection sites to deliver localized chemotherapy over extended periods. It is hoped that (Read more...)
3D Printed Microfluidic Bioreactor for Brain Organoid Culture
Researchers at MIT and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have developed a 3D-printed microfluidic bioreactor that can be used to culture and study brain organoids. The tiny self-organizing nodules of brain tissue are very useful in studying neurological disease and the effects of drugs. However, the bioreactors used to grow brain organoids (Read more...)
SENSEI Robotic Gamma Probe Cancer Detector Cleared in Europe
Lightpoint Medical, a company based near London, England, has won the EU CE Mark for its SENSEI robotic gamma probe. The device is the first of its kind, allowing physicians to insert it through a cavity or a standard laparoscopic port and look for lymph nodes and lymphatic system metastasis, when paired with an injectable […]
Magnetic Nanoparticles Deliver Chem and Heat Cancer Cells for Synergistic Effects
Researchers at University College London have shown that tiny magnetic nanoparticles could enhance cancer treatment. The particles can deliver chemotherapy drugs to cancer cells and also produce a mild heating effect when stimulated with an external alternating magnetic field. Combining particle-mediated heat treatment and chemotherapy resulted in (Read more...)
Artificial Attachments for Immune Cells Help Kill Tumors
Though immune cells have the capabilities to kill cancer cells, they’re often thwarted by cancer’s ability to evade detection. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have now developed engineered natural killer cells that have a much better ability to find and kill cancerous cells. “We explored a novel method to engineer nat (Read more...)
Radiotherapy to Prevent Recurrence Post Brain Tumor Excision: Interview with Matthew Likens, President and CEO of GT Medical
GT Medical Technologies, a company based in Arizona, has developed the FDA-approved GammaTile system, which can provide localized radiation therapy for brain tumor excision sites. Its goal is to reduce tumor recurrence and enhance patient survival. The treatment consists of radiation seeds encased in a collagen substrate. These are easy to place at (Read more...)
Microbubbles Deliver Drugs Directly to Tumors
When fighting cancerous tumors, all too often the very drugs that can destroy a lesion tend to have significant negative effects on the rest of the body. Doses have to be maintained at moderate levels to avoid side-effects that are even worse than the disease. In light of this, researchers have been trying to develop […]
Red Blood Cells Deliver Nanoparticles to Provoke Immune Response to Lung Metastases
Researchers at Harvard’s Wyss Institute have developed a way to deliver immune-stimulating agents to lung metastases. Their system involves nanoparticles loaded with an immune-stimulating agent that are attached to red blood cells. When injected into the blood stream, the red blood cells shed the nanoparticles as they squeeze through the narr (Read more...)
High Resolution Ultrasound for Precise Tumor Ablation
Researchers at the Max Planck Institute and the University of Stuttgart in Germany have developed a method to create high-resolution ultrasound fields, a capability which may improve the effectiveness of ultrasound therapies and tailor them for individual patients. The technique involves passing ultrasonic waves through water, where hydrogen bubble (Read more...)
Smartphone Dongle for Cancer Biomarker Measurement
Researchers at McMaster and Brock universities in Canada have developed a hand-held device that can provide rapid measurements of cancer biomarkers in blood samples. Termed an electrochemical bio‐barcode assay, the device could be used to measure a variety of health markers at home, and is similar to the devices used by patients with diabetes (Read more...)
Cell Culture System Mimics Effects of Lung Motion on Cancer Metastases
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a cell culture system to examine the effects of lung motion on breast cancer metastases. The system uses magnets to provide a stretching force on a 3D culture of breast cancer cells, and the researchers hope that the technology could lead to new insights into metastases and how to […]
Philips Azurion Lung Edition for High Precision Bronchoscopy Procedures
Philips has just unveiled its Azurion Lung Edition system that combines a number of technologies that improve how minimally invasive procedures in the lungs are performed. The system relies on Cone Beam CT imaging, to provide a high resolution 3D view of the lungs, along with X-ray guidance for clear awareness of the anatomy being […]
Keep A Breast Foundation and Carbon Health Partner on Self-Check App
Over 300,000 women in the US are expected to be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, with an estimated 12,000 of those diagnosed expected to be under the age of 40. Early detection is pivotal to ensuring a high likelihood of survival, which is why the Keep A Breast Foundation is doubling down on the […]
Synthetic Melanin Protects from Radiation Damage
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a new biomaterial, selenomelanin, that can help protect people from radiation. The new substance, chemically synthesized and produced by bacteria, helps protect cells from radiation more effectively than other forms of melanin. One day, it may be used in sunscreens, medical treatments, or for lo (Read more...)
Hologic Releases SuperSonic MACH 40 Breast Ultrasound in U.S.
Hologic is launching in the U.S. its first cart-based breast ultrasound system, the SuperSonic MACH 40. The company touts the device as a premium ultrasound that produces high fidelity images and features a number of capabilities that improve clinical efficiency and diagnostic accuracy. Some of these features include ShearWave PLUS elastography, wh (Read more...)
Noona Cloud Tool for Cancer Patients: Interview with Jani Ahonala, VP, Global Patient Outcomes, Varian Medical
Varian Medical Systems, based in Palo Alto, California, has announced that its Noona mobile service now has some new features, some of which are a direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Noona is a cloud-based system that allows cancer patients to connect with their clinicians and clinics. Patients can record their symptoms and proactively manage (Read more...)