WANA (Aug 31) – Researchers at Shiraz University have developed a miniaturized and innovative optical olfactory device for the rapid and accurate diagnosis of blood cancers in adults. The system is based on an array of fluorescent carbon quantum dots and metallic nanoclusters, functioning as a novel optical sensing platform.

 

The technology is significant because volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in blood are known biomarkers of leukemia. In this design, scientists employed nanotechnology to create an array of seven fluorescent sensing elements—metal nanoclusters and quantum dots—deposited on Whatman paper.

 

The paper strip was then placed in a small cubic chamber produced using 3D printing. The device consists of two integrated parts: the sensor array and the sample holder, combined into a compact and portable unit.

 

How it works

Using only 60 microliters of blood, incubated at 50°C for three hours, the sensing elements undergo unique fluorescence changes triggered by interactions with blood VOCs. These changes appear as identifiable colorimetric signatures. The resulting image data are processed with Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) to accurately differentiate between healthy and cancerous samples.

 

Clinical evaluation

The system was tested on 70 newly diagnosed acute leukemia patients and 51 healthy individuals aged 20–50. All patients were selected before starting chemotherapy to ensure the device’s effectiveness at the early diagnostic stage. Results demonstrated that the system could distinguish healthy from cancerous samples with exceptionally high accuracy.

 

Key advantages

  • Minimally invasive: Requires only a small blood sample, unlike a bone marrow biopsy.
  • Compact and portable: Paper-based design and 3D-printed housing make it lightweight and easy to use.
  • Fast and affordable: Provides results within hours without the need for complex or costly equipment.
  • High sensitivity and specificity: Achieved near-perfect accuracy in preliminary trials.

 

Since early detection is critical for acute leukemia treatment, the device is intended as a simple and rapid diagnostic tool to improve chances of successful therapy and enhance patients’ quality of life.

 

Next steps

The researchers noted some limitations, including the relatively small sample size. They recommended larger and more diverse clinical trials across different age groups and medical centers to validate the results and facilitate commercialization.

 

Despite these limitations, the Shiraz University innovation represents a significant step toward affordable, fast, and accurate cancer diagnostics, with potential future applications in detecting other diseases and cancers linked to volatile biomarkers.

Iranian Team Designs Device to Spot Blood Cancer Early. Social media WANA News Agency