Toward a Portable Cancer Diagnostic Tool Using a Disposable MEMS-Based Biochip

Goal: The objective of this study is to design and develop a portable tool consisting of a disposable biochip for measuring electrothermomechanical (ETM) properties of breast tissue.
Methods:
A biochip integrated with a microheater, force sensors, and electrical sensors is fabricated using microtechnology. The sensor covers the area of 2 mm and the biochip is 10 mm in diameter. A portable tool capable of holding tissue and biochip is fabricated using 3-D printing. Invasive ductal carcinoma and normal tissue blocks are selected from cancer tissue bank in Biospecimen Repository Service at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. The ETM properties of the normal and cancerous breast tissues (3-mm thickness and 2-mm diameter) are measured by indenting the tissue placed on the biochip integrated inside the 3-D printed tool.
Results:
Integrating microengineered biochip and 3-D printing, we have developed a portable cancer diagnosis device. Using this device, we have shown a statistically significant difference between cancerous and normal breast tissues in mechanical stiffness, electrical resistivity, and thermal conductivity.
Conclusion:
The developed cancer diagnosis device is capable of simultaneous ETM measurements of breast tissue specimens and can be a potential candidate for delineating normal and cancerous breast tissue cores.
Significance:
The portable cancer diagnosis tool could potentially provide a deterministic and quantitative information about the breast tissue characteristics, as well as the onset and disease progression of the tissues. The tool can be potentially used for other tissue-related cancers.