look news india
IIT Indore has developed a cheap and small device that will help in detecting breast cancer at an early stage. This device can prove to be a boon especially for women in rural and remote areas, because cancer screening will now become affordable and accessible by reducing the need for expensive MRI and CT scans.
Developed by Professor Srivatsan Vasudevan, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Indore, this device is based on the principle of 'photoacoustic spectral response'. This technique is used to detect abnormal changes in body tissues. It combines 'optical' and 'acoustic' signals together, which helps in detecting cancer at an early stage. This technology not only gives accurate results but is also extremely affordable.
Why are MRI and CT scans expensive?
Talking about this achievement, Professor Suhas Joshi, Director, IIT Indore, said that equipment like MRI and CT scan are imported and very expensive, due to which a large section of the country's population is not able to avail them. Especially for the people of rural and remote areas, these facilities have remained a distant dream till now. He further said that to find a solution to this challenge, IIT Indore has developed a cheap and accessible device with indigenous technology which will help in early detection of breast cancer especially in women of these areas.
How does this machine work?
Professor Vasudevan explained the working of the device that it generates light using a 'compact pulsed laser diode' which comes in contact with the tissue. The results obtained through this process are analyzed to reveal whether the tissue in question has signs of cancer or not. This initiative of IIT Indore is not only a big step in the treatment of breast cancer but also makes it accessible to the poor and common people. Now women from rural and remote areas will also be able to take care of their health without spending money on expensive MRI and CT scans and can save their lives by detecting breast cancer in time.
