We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us

Download Mobile App




Wireless Probe Detects Cancer Cells During Surgery

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 23 Jun 2016
Print article
Image: The EPFL Beta probe (Photo courtesy of EPFL).
Image: The EPFL Beta probe (Photo courtesy of EPFL).
Novel wireless probes inserted into the surgical wound identify cancer cells and suspicious lymph nodes by emitting an auditory alarm that directs the surgeon.

Developed by researchers at Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL; Switzerland), the Gamma and Beta probes are 20 centimeters long each and weigh around 100 grams, resembling a large pen. While the Gamma probe is an upgrade to similar devices already used, the Beta probe is a completely new device that is able to detect extremely small specimens of cancerous tissue by searching for positrons emitted by a tracer substance, which attaches to the cancer cells. Since positrons can only travel through a millimeter of tissue, when detected they pinpoint the tumor cells.

The Gamma probe does not directly detect cancer cells; instead, it finds a sentinel lymph node--the lymph node cancer cells reach before they make their way to the rest of the body--near the main tumor site. The lymph node can then be removed by the surgeons and used to stage the disease. If the sentinel lymph node is free of cancer cells, it means that the tumor has not spread. Both probes were tested at University Hospital Lausanne (CHUV; Switzerland), after earning the European CE mark in early 2015.

“The probe has a little window at one end that picks up the gamma rays or positrons given off by the substance injected into the patient,” said Edoardo Charbon, director of the Advanced Quantum Architecture Lab (AQUA) at EPFL. “A scintillator converts the energy of the rays into photons, which are then detected by a highly sensitive sensor.”

The positron is the antimatter counterpart of the electron; it has an electric charge of +1 e, a spin of ½, and has the same mass as an electron. When a low-energy positron collides with a low-energy electron, annihilation occurs, resulting in the production of two or more gamma ray photons. Positrons may be generated by positron emission radioactive decay (through weak interactions), or by pair production from a sufficiently energetic photon, which is interacting with an atom in a material.

Related Links:
Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
University Hospital Lausanne
Gold Member
Solid State Kv/Dose Multi-Sensor
AGMS-DM+
Gold Member
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Sample-To-Answer Test
SARS‑CoV‑2/Flu A/Flu B/RSV Cartridge (CE-IVD)
Silver Member
Compact 14-Day Uninterrupted Holter ECG
NR-314P
New
Needlefree Closed System Transfer Device
ChemoClave

Print article

Channels

Critical Care

view channel
Image: The permeable wearable electronics developed for long-term biosignal monitoring (Photo courtesy of CityUHK)

Super Permeable Wearable Electronics Enable Long-Term Biosignal Monitoring

Wearable electronics have become integral to enhancing health and fitness by offering continuous tracking of physiological signals over extended periods. This monitoring is crucial for understanding an... Read more

Patient Care

view channel
Image: The newly-launched solution can transform operating room scheduling and boost utilization rates (Photo courtesy of Fujitsu)

Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization

An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more

Health IT

view channel
Image: First ever institution-specific model provides significant performance advantage over current population-derived models (Photo courtesy of Mount Sinai)

Machine Learning Model Improves Mortality Risk Prediction for Cardiac Surgery Patients

Machine learning algorithms have been deployed to create predictive models in various medical fields, with some demonstrating improved outcomes compared to their standard-of-care counterparts.... Read more

Point of Care

view channel
Image: The PATHFAST hs-cTnI-II high-sensitivity troponin assay has been developed for the PATHFAST Biomarker Analyzer (Photo courtesy of Polymedco)

POC Myocardial Infarction Test Delivers Results in 17 Minutes

Chest pain is the second leading cause of emergency department (ED) visits by adults in the United States, generating over 7 million visits annually. In the event of a suspected heart attack, physicians... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2024 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.