First approved smartphone stethoscope

Breakthrough Software as a Medical Device (SaaMD) has enabled smartphones to be used as class-leading stethoscopes that capture, analyse and share cardiovascular and pulmonary sound data. The device has just received marketing clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration. The downloadable Stethophone application uses advanced acoustic processing to provide smartphones with highly sensitive cardiac and pulmonary listening capability. Stethophone is unique in that there is nothing new to plug in, charge or connect. Your phone is your medical-grade stethoscope – providing enhanced audio, dynamic visualisations of recordings, enhanced analysis and secure transmission of examinations. In trials conducted at the Eastern Health Medical Centre of Newfoundland, 70% of medical professionals rated Stethophone superior in diagnostic sound performance over other leading devices. Stethophone also performed significantly higher in overall correct heart pathology diagnosis and correct normal heart diagnosis. 

Non-invasive test for oral cancer

A non-invasive diagnostic test for oral cancer has been developed by researchers at the University of Surrey. This proof-of-concept test called PANDORA was shown to be over 92% accurate at identifying patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The test was also shown to be more than 80% accurate at identifying patients with pre-cancer or oral epithelial dysplasia (OED). The research team took cell samples from 40 people with OSCC and OED, along with 79 people without cancer (including those with other, benign lesions), for use as a test group. They used a machine called a DEPtech 3DEP analyser, with a unique set-up protocol, to measure and analyse the cells of the patients. Samples could be collected at a dentist’s surgery and posted for analysis, allowing it to be used in primary care to identify patients in need of specialist care.

Ingestible x-ray dosimeter

National University of Singapore (NUS) researchers have invented a novel ingestible capsule x-ray dosimeter for real-time radiotherapy monitoring. This affordable and ingestible capsule monitors radiation dose, pH and temperature in gastrointestinal tract in real-time, and could benefit gastric cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. By integrating their innovative capsule design with a neural-network-based regression model that calculates radiation dose based on data captured by the capsule, the researchers achieved approximately five times more accurate dose monitoring compared to existing standard methods.

Simple paper test for cancer

MIT engineers have designed a new nanoparticle sensor that could enable early diagnosis of cancer with a simple urine test. The sensors, which can detect many different cancerous proteins, could also be used to distinguish the type of a tumour or how it is responding to treatment. The nanoparticles are designed so that when they encounter a tumour, they shed short sequences of DNA that are excreted in the urine. Analysing these DNA ‘barcodes’ can reveal distinguishing features of a particular patient’s tumour. The researchers designed their test so that it can be performed using a strip of paper, similar to an at-home Covid test, which they hope could make it affordable and accessible to as many patients as possible. In tests in mice, the researchers showed that they could use the sensors to detect the activity of five different enzymes that are expressed in tumours. They also showed that their approach could be scaled up to distinguish at least 46 different DNA barcodes in a single sample, using a microfluidic device to analyse the samples.

Implantable device for pancreatic cancer 

Scientists at the Houston Methodist Research Institute have designed a potentially groundbreaking new device for treating pancreatic cancer, and it’s smaller than a single grain of rice. This new implantable device is capable of delivering immunotherapy directly into tumours. Study authors invented, developed, and tested an implantable nanofluidic device for delivering CD40 monoclonal antibodies (mAb), a promising immunotherapeutic agent, at a sustained low-dose via the nanofluidic drug-eluting seed (NDES). The end result, observed in murine models, was tumour reduction at a four-fold lower dosage than traditional systemic immunotherapy treatment. Simply put, the device needs less medicine to shrink cancerous tumours.

New tech tackles dysphagia

A new type of technology is helping cancer patients with dysphagia to swallow. The Mobili-T (short for mobile therapist) is one of a kind; the only mobile, home-based swallowing exercise device available that pairs real-time visual biofeedback with a smart software-based coaching system, all while maintaining a direct connection to the speech and language specialist, who can, for the first time ever, reliably track a patient’s progress. The wireless piece of hardware senses muscle activity when placed under the chin and gives patients direct feedback about swallowing muscle activation. An app that provides real-time biofeedback on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone, leads patients through swallowing exercises. The invention, developed by Canadian company True Angle, lets people do intensive exercise at home instead of having to carve out time from their jobs and daily lives to come to a clinic, where they have to use a machine about the size of a refrigerator.