It also outperformed some commercial biomarkers, which are used as an aid for borderline diagnoses (where cancer is difficult to tell apart from benign abnormalities). Yet, even in this more challenging setting, the NanoMslide performed strongly. This led to further pathology assessments with patient tissue, where there is more complexity to contend with in terms of diagnosis. We eventually reached the point where we could be confident some of the specific colors visible were indicative of cancerous cells. By starting with a well-characterized small-animal model, our team of physicists, cancer researchers and breast pathologists was able to develop the technology further. Credit: Author providedДЇor our study, we tested the slides with expert breast-cancer pathologists, using both a mouse model and patient tissue.

The NanoMslide is a large sensor fitted with cutting-edge nanotechnology capabilities. The NanoMslide renders tissues in beautiful full-color contrast, making it easier to differentiate multiple types of cell on a single slide. The dyes which are currently used to stain tissues (to visualize cell shape and architecture) normally present as one or two colors. It is this feature which we've been able to optimize to allow pathologists to detect cells that are likely cancerous, just by looking at them. And when an object such as a tissue or single cell comes into contact with the sensor's surface, colors are produced. The sensor is activated by visible light. Maintaining this level of precision, which is necessary for reliable fabrication at this scale, has taken advances in nanofabrication techniques that have only become commercially available in the past six years. What's truly remarkable is the structures of the sensor are just a few hundred nanometres across, yet are repeated with amazing precision across an area of tens of centimeters, or more. Rather than focusing on developing a better microscope, we focused on improving the microscope slide instead.Д«y developing a special nanofabricated coating, we modified the surface of an ordinary microscope slide and transformed it into one huge sensor. Normal (non-cancerous) human tissue, viewed through a microscope with the NanoMslide applied. With mammogram screening, distinguishing breast abnormalities from early breast cancers upon biopsy is very important, particularly as misdiagnosis rates can be as high as 15%. This makes it easier to recognize potentially cancerous cells (or benign abnormalities) within the tissue.Д«y providing a way to instantly distinguish which cells could be cancerous, the tool may help to reduce current uncertainty around very early-stage breast cancer detection. The NanoMslide can manipulate light at the nanoscale, causing cells to 'light up' with vivid color contrast. However, an accurate diagnosis of the earliest stages of breast cancer requires identifying small numbers of diseased cells throughout a tissue, which can be incredibly challenging. As with most cancers, catching the disease early is critical. It's estimated one in eight Australian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer by age 85. Our research is published today in Nature. We modified a standard microscope slide to turn it into a powerful tool for breast cancer detection. This was our team's goal as we developed a new medical diagnostic tool called the NanoMslide.

But what if there was a way to not only see the structure of cells, but also determine whether they are abnormal, simply by looking at their intrinsic color under a microscope? Sometimes, though, cell structure alone isn't enough to accurately identify disease-which can lead to misdiagnosis and potentially fatal consequences for a patient.

Microscope for computer