Skin Biopsies are necessary diagnostic procedures that are performed on a skin lesion being cut from the body. The cutting and diagnosis takes about 6-10 days time. Skin biopsies are commonly performed to diagnose skin cancer and other serious skin diseases. Since the procedure takes time and skill to carry out, people aren’t asked to be diagnosed before something alarming has already happened, and that could easily be cancer itself. With this new device, we can get a biopsy sample within five minutes and no special skill is needed to carry out this. It is hoped that this portable skin diagnostic equipment will help diagnosis at a very early stage.
The current biopsy procedure is lengthy and involves cutting a significant portion of the patient’s skin to test it. The wound is then sewn up afterwards. This process is very time-consuming, and only people with good skills can operate the machinery. The new device is not a myth of the future as it has already been patented by University of Carlos 3, Madrid and Raman Cajal Institute of Health Research.
The device is just placed on the suspected portion, and a button is pushed that triggers the automatic skin cutting and collection mechanism. No Anaesthesia is required, and it is completed within five minutes as opposed to 25-30 minutes on the previous machines.
There are various kinds of skin cancers prevalent in among the public nowadays. There are non-melanoma cancers that slowly develop in the top most layers and then there are more lethal melanoma cancers that can spread from skin to other parts of the body. Non-melanoma cancers are quite common as in UK alone, 100,000 cases were diagnosed in 2012.
The new device will be a potentially life-saving apparatus in years to come as it has simplified the process to a great deal. Early diagnosis leads to the successful recovery of the skin, and that is most important in any cancer’s treatment.
Have a look at the device in this video here:
