Posted by Turkse Media
Aug 05, 2023
Turkish scientist Canan Dağdeviren has been pioneering the world of medical technology for years, with some of her most prominent inventions being a wearable pacemaker and a machine that can detect skin cancer in seconds. Her latest invention, a wearable ultrasonic device that will change the way researchers diagnose different types of cancer, is also potentially a big deal.
The inspiration for her latest breakthrough came from a particularly painful personal experience: the death of an aunt who was diagnosed with advanced breast cancer despite regular screenings.
Dağdeviren, then a postdoctoral researcher at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), went on a mission “to help as many women as possible.”
She came up with a preliminary design for a wearable ultrasound scanner that seamlessly integrated into a bra to enable more frequent screenings for individuals at increased risk of breast cancer. “It was just a dream on a piece of paper at the time. But now it’s real,” she said in an exclusive video interview.
Dağdeviren and her team at MIT recently demonstrated the device’s ability to capture images with a level of detail comparable to ultrasound probes used in medical facilities.
The team tested the device on a 71-year-old woman with a history of breast cysts and successfully detected cysts as small as 0.3 centimeters in diameter, the size of early-stage tumors.
The trials also showed that the resolution of the device was comparable to that of conventional ultrasound technology, enabling imaging of tissue down to 8 centimeters in depth.
The device allows users to “imagine and visualize their breast tissue with a single image without scanning, without the involvement of a doctor or radiologist, and this data goes to your iPhone and is processed,” she explained.
The technology and the early detection it enables can “increase the survival rate to 98 percent,” she stressed.
Versatile
The use of the device will go beyond breast cancer detection, the Turkish scientist said. “This technology is versatile, not only for breast cancer, but can also be used for other forms of cancer assessment, such as kidney cancer.”
She said they are also working on technology for specially designed underwear to monitor bladder volume, which provides a good estimate of kidney health. “The device can also be laminated to a pregnant woman’s abdomen.”
“I even did a real demo at MIT of how this technology can help me monitor my baby. I can see my baby’s features and track how the baby moves.”
The Turkish intends to use the technology to positively impact millions of women worldwide. “I think the applications are limitless, so we can use it for different types of organs, which are very difficult to reach and visualize, such as pancreatic cancer or ovarian cancer.”
“These cancers are very difficult to diagnose at an early stage. So with this kind of detection, up to 12 centimeters that. I feel there are many things we can do. “
Saving lives
This technology has the potential to “save up to 11 million lives a year globally,” Dağdeviren stressed. She also underlined that “expenditure on cancer will be reduced by half”.
“In 2020 alone, insurance companies paid more than $30 billion for cancer research and expenses. This amount increases by 20 percent every year.”
“Not only will this technology increase the survival rate to 98 percent, it will also reduce a lot of medical costs and have a great impact on society.”
Dağdeviren said they “hope to launch a company late this year or early next year to bring this technology to the real market.” “We are currently looking for investors and partners who can be part of this company and we are very open to any kind of dialogue and conversation.”
©Turkishmedia.nl – All rights reserved | AA | Published: 05-08-2023
2023-08-05 20:13:06
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