New flexible film ‘could aid creation of portable cancer detector’

A thin, stretchable film has been developed by US engineers that could lead to the creation of a new portable device for improved monitoring and detection of cancer.

Developed by the University of Michigan, the film provides a simple cost-effective way to produce circularly polarised light, a key part of the process involved in predicting cancer recurrence.

This process identifies biomarkers present in the blood from the earliest stages of cancer recurrence and creates synthetic biological particles to bind to them. The particles are coated with a reflective layer that allows them to be detected with circularly polarised light.

The new film is light, flexible and easy to manufacture, as well as being highly stretchable, allowing for precise, instantaneous oscillations in the polarisation of the light passed through it.

It is hoped that this film could be used to create a portable smartphone-sized device that could quickly analyse blood samples in the clinic or at home, although this remains several years away.

Nicholas Kotov, professor of engineering at the University of Michigan, said: "More frequent monitoring could enable doctors to catch cancer recurrence earlier, to more effectively monitor the effectiveness of medications and to give patients better peace of mind."