Researchers in Taiwan have developed a skin patch that can measure tumour size in mice and send the data to a smartphone.
The study, from the National Tsing Hua University (NTHU) and Taipei Medical University, tackles the need, in cancer treatment, for regular monitoring of tumours in patients undergoing therapy, with traditional methods like MRIs often being more inconvenient and invasive.
The researchers designed a stretchable, adhesive skin patch infused with nanoparticles. When this was applied to the skin of mice – above a tumour growing just below the skin’s surface – the electrical properties of the patch changed in response to tumour growth, providing real-time size measurements via a smartphone app.
The innovative technology will allow more precise timing for treatments, more accurate dosages, and better assessment of the effectiveness of the treatment.
The original study was published in ACS Nano.