CONGRATS! Low-Cost Breast Cancer detectors by NIT Durgapur

Students of National Institute of Technology (NIT) recently created a feat by discovering a low cost self-testing device that will help anyone to detect breast cancer at an early stage. The process of commercialisation of the device has already started and it will reach the market soon at a cost of only Rs 150-200!

The device requires a single drop of finger-pricked blood along with a drop of re-agent on a paper based strip provided. The device is designed such that the flow of blood will be harnessed from an input source pad to a reaction pad for the diagnosis. When this device is fitted to a digital device, it gives the reading. This device will help to detect the amount of cancer-indicating antigen HER 2 in a woman’s body. HER 2 happens to be Human Epidermal Growth Factor and in a normal female body it should be below 15 nanogram/ ML. If it is above the person should immediately go for check up as it indicates possibility of breast cancer. As trends show women with high HER 2 are the high risk group. 

The device has already gone through a series of lab tests and in future the cost might be further reduced. This is indeed good news for hundreds of women in India who are affected by Breast Cancer and in many cases early detection can help them recover.