Innovation
These glasses help surgeons spot cancer
Breakthrough wearable technology makes seeing cancer as easy as putting on a pair of special glasses.
We're obviously nowhere near that reality yet as cancer is still one of the leading causes of death worldwide. But, one surgery later, we're a little bit closer.
That's because, for the first time, a surgeon has used special glasses to distinguish cancer cells from healthy cells in a patient during surgery to remove cancer cells. Samuel Achilefu, professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, developed technology that causes cancer cells as small as one millimeter in diameter to glow blue when viewed through the glasses.
"We’re in the early stages of this technology, and more development and testing will be done, but we’re certainly encouraged by the potential benefits to patients," said breast surgeon Julie Margenthaler, who performed the first operation with the glasses, in a press release. "Imagine what it would mean if these glasses eliminated the need for follow-up surgery and the associated pain, inconvenience and anxiety."
That's the key here. It's not going to stop cancer, but the glasses can at least make the treatment process a little more effective and efficient.
As Washington University explains, cancer cells are "notoriously difficult to see." Because of that, breast cancer patients who need lumps removed, for example, need a second surgery about 20 to 25 percent of the time.
Here are a few other applications for wearable tech devices with a health focus to keep an eye on:
- Google Glass. It's not for sale yet, but it's already being used in surgery.
- No more heart rate monitors. Now, just put on a shirt.
- Prosthetics, made from 3D printers.
- Noninvasive, internal body monitoring devices.
- Gadgets that make it easy to track fitness data.
Related on SmartPlanet:
- Google Glass gets a prescription
- The $200 T-shirt that will fix your bad posture
- First human patients to receive synthetic hearts
- Google announces smart contact lenses project
Photo: Robert Boston/Washington University
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com