New oral cancer detection prototype shows promising results in preliminary tests
A prototype of a new oral cancer diagnosis device, developed by the University of Liverpool, has demonstrated promising results during preliminary tests on histopathology specimens.
The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR Wand) is being developed by physicists at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with the Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LHNC).
Although still in the early stages of development and tested on a limited number of samples, the LDIR Wand was found to be more accurate at predicting the prognosis of oral cancer lesions than the current haematoxylin and eosin staining technique used to test for mouth cancer.
The LDIR Wand uses a patented machine learning algorithm to analyse infrared spectral images of tissues. It aims to give a value for the percentage area of cancer present in a specimen and, by varying a parameter in the software, can adjust the balance between sensitivity and specificity to aid diagnosis.
There are more than 12,000 cases of oral cancer in the UK every year and early diagnosis is critical to improving patient outcomes. Current diagnosis and prognosis methods depend on the analysis of biopsies which is both difficult, prone to subjectivity and time consuming.
The construction and development of the LDIR Wand prototype has been supported with £900,000 of funding from the National Institute of Health and Care Research’s i4i programme and Cancer Research UK.
From discovery to prototype
The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand is borne out of pioneering technology developed by physicist Professor Peter Weightman and its origins date back more than a decade.
Whilst working on the ALICE accelerator facility, the UK’s only 4th generation light source based at Daresbury, Professor Weightman realised that the intense source of infrared light (the InfraRed Free Electron Laser) could be used to study cancer.
Having made this discovery breakthrough, Professor Weightman and his team took their first steps on the technology development journey. Working with clinicians they developed the technology, securing more than £5 million from a number of medical and science funding sources to support the programme.
What is clear is that our technology has the potential to save lives and revolutionise the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of oral cancer and whilst our prototype is currently focussed on oral cancer, our approach should be applicable to any cancer where the diagnosis is based on the analysis of biopsies.
LDIR Wand: Breakthrough in oral cancer detection
The Liverpool Diagnostic Infrared Wand (LDIR Wand), a pioneering device powered by machine learning, has demonstrated greater accuracy than current diagnostic methods in preliminary tests. By analysing infrared spectral images of tissue samples, it offers a more efficient and precise method of detecting oral cancer.
Liverpool Head and Neck Centre (LHNC)
Commercialisation opportunities
