Home Detection Kit to Quickly Diagnose Cancer May
Soon Make Seniors Wish List
MU researcher developing a sensor to detect diseases,
such as breast cancer, in bodily fluids with National Science Foundation
award
Feb. 17, 2010 Here is one of those things that
should be on every senior citizens wish list a home kit to quickly and
accurately diagnose cancer, similar to a pregnancy test? A University of
Missouri researcher is developing a tiny sensor, known as an acoustic
resonant sensor, that is smaller than a human hair and could test bodily
fluids for a variety of diseases, including breast and prostate cancers.
New hand hygiene video empowers patients to remind
hospital caregivers to clean their hands, a strategy that is critical in
the fight to prevent infections
In
a liquid environment, most sensors experience a significant loss of
signal quality, but by using highly sensitive, low-signal-loss acoustic
resonant sensors in a liquid, these substances can be effectively and
quickly detected a brand-new concept that will result in a noninvasive
approach for breast cancer detection.
Kwons
real-time, special acoustic resonant sensor uses micro/nanoelectromechanical
systems (M/NEMS), which are tiny devices smaller than the diameter of a
human hair, to directly detect diseases in body fluids.
The sensor doesnt require bulky data reading or
analyzing equipment and can be integrated with equally small circuits,
creating the potential for small stand-alone disease-screening systems.
Kwons sensor also produces rapid, almost immediate
results that could reduce patient anxiety often felt after waiting for
other detection methods, such as biopsies, which can take several days
or weeks before results are known.
Our ultimate goal is to produce a device that will
simply and quickly diagnose multiple specific diseases, and eventually
be used to create point of care systems, which are services provided
to patients at their bedsides, Kwon said.
The sensor has strong commercial potential to be
manifested as simple home kits for easy, rapid and accurate diagnosis of
various diseases, such as breast cancer and prostate cancer.
Last January, Kwon was awarded a $400,000,
five-year National Science Foundation CAREER Award to continue his
effort on this sensor research. The CAREER award is the NSFs most
prestigious award in support of junior faculty members who exemplify the
role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent
teaching, and the integration of education and research.
Kwons sensor research has been published in the
IEEE International Conference on Solid-state, Sensors, Actuators and
Microsystems and the IEEE Conference on Sensors.
MU researcher developing a sensor to detect diseases,
such as breast cancer, in bodily fluids with National Science Foundation
award 
