Extremely thin sensors capable of detecting cancer in its early stages have been developed by a team of Japanese and American scientists from Harvard and the University of Tokyo.
The team was able to entangle pressure-sensing nanofibers into a grid-like, lightweight structure, by utilizing organic transistors and electronic switches made from organic material such as carbon.
If all goes well, the scientists hope the sensors, which are essentially flexible electronics, can be molded into tumor-detecting gloves for doctors, ultimately enabling them to catch breast cancer early and easily transmit data with other doctors.]
Incredibly, the innovative pressure sensors are thinner than plastic wrap at only .0003 inches thick, could easily conform to the shape of doctors’ hands, and have the capability to measure pressure of 144 locations simultaneously. Ultimately, this would enable doctors determine if what they’re palpating is a tumor.
And as I alluded to above, all the of the information from the sensors can be digitized in order to form more complete records of patients and be shared with other doctors, representing a potential revolutionary breakthrough when it comes to early cancer detection.
