A memristor-based method for discriminating tuberculous and malignant pleural effusions

Distinguishing malignant pleural effusion (MPE) from tuberculous pleural effusion (TPE) is important, as the underlying diseases (tuberculosis and advanced malignancies) are major public health concerns. However, an efficient method for differentiating these two effusions is still lacking. In this work, we fabricated an Ag/SiO₂/Fe₂O₃/ITO memristor and demonstrated its ability to reliably distinguish MPE from TPE by exploiting its unique resistive switching behavior. Mechanistic analysis reveals that subtle compositional differences between MPE and TPE can be transduced into distinct, measurable electrical signals. Furthermore, the memristor achieves effective identification of MPE and TPE through characteristic electrochemical responses, most notably polarity-dependent variations in the high-resistance-state/low-resistance-state (R_off/R_on) ratio and peak current. This work introduces a memristor-based approach for discriminating MPE and TPE, providing a potential tool for clinical practice.