Skin biopsies are usually required to diagnose cancers and inflammatory skin conditions. They can be quite painful as doctors remove circles of skin of 2-4 mm in diameter. Local anesthetic is required to numb the pain and one or two sutures are needed to close the wound.
However, scientists at the University of Queensland have developed a small skin microbiopsy tool, which removes the need of local anesthetics or sutures.
Biopsies, to put simply, are procedures in which small tissue samples are taken. These samples are then analyzed in a variety of ways to detect and monitor diseases such as cancer. Skin biopsies are quite small – 2-4 mm of skin is not that big of a deal. However, they can be quite painful and need to be properly addressed to prevent infections and avoid causing more pain than absolutely necessary. Furthermore, depending on the site of the disease, these biopsy locations can be quite visible, which may be irritating to some patients.
Researchers now developed a tiny microbiopsy device, which quickly and almost painlessly takes a skin sample for skin cancers and other skin conditions to be diagnosed and monitored. No sutures or anesthetics are required. The trick is very simple – this device takes a sample which is smaller than 0.5mm in diameter. At the moment this device is being further developed, but scientists already have deals to commercialize it as a real medical product.
The site of microbiopsy is so small it actually heals in days without any sutures or any additional help. The procedure itself is very quick – almost like a finger prick for a blood test. And while the skin sample is smaller, it is enough for the analysis of the molecular profile of a potential skin cancer or an inflammatory skin condition. Furthermore, because this procedure is less invasive, it can be repeated more often to monitor the progress of the disease or the treatment.
Dr Andrew Gooley, one of the scientists behind the device, is very happy about the opportunity to commercialize the product. He said: “The microbiopsy device has been in demand by research institutions investigating a range of skin conditions, as well as cosmetic and dermatology companies worldwide as a result of our earlier evaluation partnership, and this licence agreement provides a way of making and selling the devices at high volume”.
One of the big goals of modern medicine is personalized treatments. Such quick and minimally-invasive biopsies could help in this regard as well, because patient’s biological data could become more accessible in real time. All in all, such quick skin biopsies will aid medicine and patients alike.
Source: University of Queensland
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