Toward a Portable Cancer Diagnostic Tool Using a Disposable MEMS-Based Biochip

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Accurate characterization of breast tissue properties is crucial for cancer diagnosis.
• Existing methods for assessing tissue properties can be complex and lack portability.
• There is a need for a rapid, quantitative diagnostic tool for breast cancer detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and develop a portable diagnostic tool for measuring electrothermomechanical (ETM) properties of breast tissue.
• To integrate a disposable biochip with microheater, force, and electrical sensors for ETM analysis.
• To utilize 3-D printing for the fabrication of a portable housing for the device.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a microengineered biochip (10 mm diameter) with integrated microheater and sensors.
• Development of a 3-D printed portable tool to hold the tissue and biochip.
• Measurement of ETM properties of normal and invasive ductal carcinoma breast tissues (3 mm thickness, 2 mm diameter) via indentation.

Main Results:

• A portable cancer diagnosis device integrating a microengineered biochip and 3-D printing was successfully developed.
• Statistically significant differences were observed between cancerous and normal breast tissues in mechanical stiffness, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity.
• The device demonstrated the capability for simultaneous ETM measurements.

Conclusions:

• The developed portable device enables simultaneous electrothermomechanical measurements of breast tissue.
• This device shows potential for distinguishing between normal and cancerous breast tissue cores.
• The tool offers quantitative insights into tissue characteristics, aiding in cancer diagnosis and progression monitoring.