Cervical Cancer Detection System Patented

A patent has been granted for noninvasive cervical cancer detection technology and it recognizes that the technology measures both biochemical and structural changes in tissue in order to better detect cancer.

The patent claims the combined use of at least two spectroscopic methods for measuring biochemical and morphologic changes that occur in diseases such as cancer. The biochemical methods use fluorescence, time-resolved fluorescence, and fluorescence anisotropy. The morphologic methods include absorption, reflectance, and polarized reflectance. Another claim covers the combining of spectroscopic measurements with the results of previous tissue testing, including a visual examination, cytology, and other indicators of pathology.

The new cervical cancer detection device uses proprietary technology to identify cancers and precancers painlessly by analyzing light reflected from the cervix. The device creates an image of the cervix that highlights the location and severity of disease. The technology involved is able to distinguish between normal and diseased tissue by detecting biochemical and morphologic changes at the cellular level. Unlike a Pap test, the test does not require a tissue sample or laboratory analysis.

The new technology is being developed by Guided Therapeutics, Inc., a subsidiary of SpectRx, Inc. (Norcross, GA, USA; www.spectrx.com). To date, more than 1,600 women have been tested with prototypes of the cervical cancer detection devices.




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