Tiny blood test implant could help treat cancer

A tiny implant that conducts blood tests under the skin could greatly improve the tracking and treatment of cancer and other diseases, researchers claim.

The 14 millimetre-long device is packed with miniaturised electronics, including five sensors and a WiFi transmitter.

Power is delivered through the skin by a battery patch which also relays test data via Bluetooth. Results can be displayed on a doctor’s mobile phone or laptop.

The sensors target proteins, sugar and organic acids in the blood that provide vital health information.

For patients with chronic illnesses, such as cancer or diabetes, the device could provide continuous monitoring and sound an alert before symptoms emerge.

Scientists believe the implant will be especially useful as a chemotherapy aid.

Currently doctors rely on occasional blood tests to assess a cancer patient’s tolerance of a particular treatment dosage. However, it is difficult to tailor the ideal dose for an individual patient.

The implant opens up the possibility of much more finely tuned and effective treatment, according to Professor Giovanni de Micheli, one of the chip’s designers from the EPFL polytechnic in Lausanne, Switzerland.

A prototype has been tested for five substances and found to be as reliable as conventional analysis methods.