Zilico’s cervical cancer screening device: could this mean the end of pap smear testing?

For most women, pap smear tests are a necessary but often uncomfortable experience they have to endure every few years. And afterwards, they may have a stressful few weeks waiting for the test results. A cervical cancer screening device currently being trialed in Europe could signal the end of pap smear testing. Zilico’s system consists of a portable, handheld device and a base unit and as opposed to pap smear tests, can provide a result in a matter of minutes.

The system consists of a handheld device and docking station and, according to Zilco, is accurate, safe and completely painless. The handheld device has a pencil-shaped probe that is covered in a single-use sterile disposable sheath. When the cervix surface is reached, the doctor presses a button on the handset. This generates a mild electrical current which can be instantly analyzed to see how it passes through the cervical cells. Cells that are pre-cancerous will conduct electricity at a different rate to normal, healthy cells.

The system uses a technique called electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). This measures the impedance or resistivity of cells across a range of frequencies and produces a spectrum showing cell changes and abnormalities. The handheld device is wirelessly linked to a computer program that can highlight areas with pre-cancerous cells.

Read more . . .

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Tags: cervical cancer, cervical cancer screening, cervical cells, electrical impedance spectroscopy, handheld cancer detection, handheld device, pap smear, pap smear tests, pre cancerous cells, screening device, Zilco device

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 at 9:35 am and is filed under Cutting-edge Research, Health, gizmag. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.