Cancer patients may undergo tremendous pain when subjected to biopsies, but not anymore. Experts from the Michigan State University have now developed a laser technology that makes biopsies painless and noninvasive. This novel molecule-selective technology can supposedly benefit a large number of cancer patients worldwide.
In the present day test for skin cancer, doctors cut away the sliver of skin and send the biopsy to a lab. This method allegedly is very painful for the patient and also takes a long time to reveal the results. Investigators believe that laser microscopes can be employed for redistributing rapid, ultra-short pulses to detect molecules. Also tools to painlessly scan a patient’s mole can be introduced. Lasers are apparently capable for exciting compounds, even those with small spectroscopic differences. During the research, scientists were able to shape the pulse of the lasers, excite one compound or another based on their vibrational signatures.
Such a level of contrast can be possibly achieved by fluorescent compounds and stimulated Raman scattering microscopy. Marcos Dantus and colleagues are also working on fabricating applications which closely scrutinize the way compounds penetrate skin and hair. Lasers can supposedly identify how drugs encroach into tissue and also through which means drugs and tissue interact, thus reducing the risk of potential side effects. The designed technology may not only keep side effects at bay, but also save time.
The research was published in Nature Photonics.