Johns Hopkins Graduate Students Invent a Medical Device That Could Spare Thousands of Cancer Patients Each Year

The Johns Hopkins University graduate students developed a sensor for detecting very early-stage lymphedema that could spare thousands of patients each year, including many women who are suffering from breast cancer, the painful, not to mention debilitating condition.

As specified in a report from the John Hopkins University's The Hub, lymphedema is a "gradual buildup of lymphatic fluid in the extremities, frequently following cancer treatment, causing pain and swelling.

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It can be treated if detected early, although once a patient feels something wrong, it is usually too late for low-impact treatment.

This inexpensive, non-invasive patch-like sensor, the developers said, would be the first tool available to enable patients to test their levels at home in roughly as much time as it takes to brush their teeth.

For Early Detection of Cancer

According to Hunter Hutchinson, co-leader of the creative team, "early detection is the key." He added they want to stop the disease from getting to the point where a patient is required to undergo long, complex surgery.

In a similar report, the Latest Breaking News said that the research team, which comprises six students from the Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design program of the university, began to develop the sensor called LymphaSense in 2021 adapting technology presently used to detect IV infiltration.

The students in this group spent hundreds of hours in clinical rotations and discussions with nurses, doctors, and patient advocates, which helped them develop a deep insight into the clinical need and constraints within which a solution like a sensor needs to operate.

Assistant professor of biomedical engineering Youseph Yazdi, also a faculty mentor for the team and CBID's executive director, said the students learned as well what it takes to develop a solution that is commercially successful so that, most essentially, it has a chance to get developed and in fact, help patients.

Bluetooth Technology

At present, people who are at risk of lymphedema can only get tested at clinics or hospitals, although it is not unusual for patients to be told to watch closely and observe sensitive parts with a tape measure, which is making detection of the earliest signs of the disease inconvenient, if not implausible.

However, with the sensor, those with breast cancer and others at risk of lymphedema can apply the patch to their skin. Then, a combination of biosensors will be able to detect any trace of a buildup of the fluid.

Meanwhile, Bluetooth technology is sending the data to the smartphone of the patient, as well as the doctors, who can then monitor the measurements a similar MyScience report specified.

Co-lead Jennifer Schultz said they considered a ring, a cuff, and a bracelet, although lymphedema can affect any part of the body, and thus, a patch was the most plausible option. She added that they created an effective, cost-efficient solution "and could be used anywhere."

Interviews with more than 60 patients at Johns Hopkins Hospital provided the research team invaluable understanding of what patients want and need in a testing device. They further refined it with comprehensive tests on synthetic skin.

Related information about cancer detection using machine learning is shown on Google's YouTube video below:

Check out more news and information on Technology and Cancer in Science Times.