Low Cost Device Helps Diagnose Pancreatic Cancer

A low-cost device has been developed that could help pathologists diagnose pancreatic cancer earlier and faster.

The prototype microfluidic device can perform the basic steps for processing a biopsy, relying on fluid transport instead of human hands to process the tissue.


Scientists and engineers at the University of Washington (Seattle, WA, USA) have developed instrumentation that would essentially automate and streamline the manual, time-consuming process a pathology laboratory goes through to diagnose cancer. The technology would process and analyze whole tissue biopsies for three-dimensional (3-D) imaging, which offers a more complete picture of the cellular makeup of a tumor.

The team built a thick, credit card-sized, flexible device out of silicon that allows a piece of tissue to pass through tiny channels and undergo a series of steps that replicate what happens on a much larger scale in a pathology laboratory. The device harnesses the properties of microfluidics, which allows tissue to move and stop with ease through small channels without needing to apply a lot of external force. It also saves clinicians from having to handle the actual specimen as a tissue biopsy taken with a syringe needle could be deposited directly into the device to begin processing.

The investigators say this is the first time material larger than a single-celled organism has successfully moved in a microfluidic device. This could have implications across the sciences in automating analyses that usually are done by humans. The team first built a mold using a petri dish and Teflon tubes, and then poured a viscous, silicon material into the mold. The result is a small, transparent instrument with seamless channels that are both curved and straight.

Ronnie Das, PhD, the lead author of the study said, “As soon as you cut a piece of tissue, you lose information about it. If you can keep the original tissue biopsy intact, you can see the whole story of abnormal cell growth. You can also see connections, cell morphology and structure as it looks in the body.” The technology could be used overseas as a kit that would process biopsies, and then send that information to pathologists who could look for signs of cancer from remote locations.
Additionally, it could potentially reduce the time it takes to diagnose cancer to a matter of minutes. The study was presented at the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE Photonics West) conference held February 1-6, 2014, in San Francisco (CA, USA).

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