Surgical biopsies can be painful, and waiting for lab results unnerving.
New ultrasonic sensor technology being developed at the University of Illinois may permit the rapid and accurate detection and diagnosis of cancer, without the need of a scalpel. New ultrasonic sensor technology being developed at the University of Illinois may permit the rapid and accurate detection and diagnosis of cancer, without the need of a scalpel. The probe functions in the same manner as the transducers used in conventional diagnostic ultrasound imaging. Operating at a frequency of 300 MHz, however, the ultrasound image resolution would be comparable to what a pathologist sees when examining tissue under a microscope. By examining the size and shape of the cells, and how they interact with surrounding tissue, a determination can be made whether the tumor is malignant or benign.