Device Detects Cancerous Skin Tumors
November 24, 2009
Medical Research, Press Releases
BEER-SHEVA, ISRAEL, November 24, 2009 – Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are developing a new device that detects cancerous skin tumors and melanoma that are not visible to the naked eye.
During initial testing, the OSPI instrument (Optical Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging), showed new textures of lesions that have never been seen before – including melanoma in patients who were diagnosed with various skin lesions and were awaiting surgery for their removal. The instrument diagnosed 73 types of lesions, some of them cancerous.
Dermatologists and plastic surgeons typically diagnose skin tumors by their appearance with the naked eye and only rarely using a dermatoscope – a magnifying tool that allows tumors to be examined in detail.
The OSPI biosensor uses safe, infrared wavelengths and LC devices to measure tumor characteristics, including contours and spread.
“This is an exciting preliminary development since the initial testing shows that we can now identify microscopic tumors in the biological layers of the skin,” explains Prof. Abdulahim, who is head of the BGU Electro-Optical Unit in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences and is leading the research group.
As we continue to develop the OSPI, we also see an opportunity to use this technology for detecting other types of cancerous growths.”
Cancerous mole detection is usually done by looking for one or more telltale visible symptoms: if the mole is asymmetrical; if its outline is blurred or irregular; if it has multiple colors; if it is larger than five millimeters in diameter; and if it stands up above the skin.
According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed yearly in the United States. Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, will account for about 8,650 of the 11,590 deaths due to skin cancer in 2009. Israel has also seen a rise in skin cancer cases in recent years.
According to the Health Ministry, one of every 39 men and one of every 50 women in Israel will be affected with melanoma in their lifetime.
Prof. Ibrahim Abdulhalim is supervising this research with two students, including Ph.D. candidate Ofir Aharon and M.Sc student Avner Safrani, and is collaborating with BGU Prof. Lior Rosenberg and Dr. Ofer Arnon from the Department of Plastic Surgery at Soroka University Medical Center.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
Stories Like This
