Noninvasive cytophone detects melanoma

University of Arkansas Medical School researchers have developed a device that can detect and kill melanoma cells circulating in the body.  Called a “Cytophone,” this noninvasive device combines a laser with ultrasound and phone technologies.  “When a melanoma CTC [circulating tumor cell] passes the laser beam into the vessels, the laser pulses heat the natural melanin nanoparticles in these cells. The fast thermal expansion of these nanoparticles then generates a sound that is detected using an ultrasound transducer attached to the skin.   The research team demonstrated that the advanced software with fast signal processing algorithms makes Cytophone data tolerant to skin pigmentation and motion that led to the identification of CTCs in 96% of the patients in between 10 seconds and 60 minutes without generating false positives in the controls at the established thresholds and current detection limit of five CTCs in five liters of blood.”     MORE

Image Credit:   University of Arkansas Medical School