Scientists from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are pioneering a new technique that would help detect cancerous skin tumours, including melanomas that aren”t visible to the naked eye.

The novel device called OSPI instrument (Optical Spectro-Polarimetric Imaging) has revealed new textures of lesions that have never been seen before – including melanoma in patients who were diagnosed with various skin lesions and were awaiting surgery for their removal.

The OSPI biosensor uses safe, infrared wavelengths and LC devices to measure tumour characteristics, including contours and spread. It diagnosed 73 types of lesions, some of them cancerous.

“This is an exciting preliminary development since the initial testing shows that we can now identify microscopic tumours in the biological layers of the skin,” said Prof. Ibrahim Abdulhalim, head of the BGU Electro-Optical Unit in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences and is leading the research group.

“As we continue to develop the OSPI, we also see an opportunity to use this technology for detecting other types of cancerous growths,” he added.