DHAKA, Sept 05, 2018, (BSS) – A team of Bangladeshi researchers invented a low-cost technology which would be able to diagnose cancer within five minutes by analyzing blood sample.
“We’ve first-ever invented the use of ‘non-linear optics’ to diagnose cancer,” Professor Dr Yasmeen Haque, who led the research team, revealed at a press conference today at International Mother Language Institute in city’s Segunbagicha.
Dr Yasmeen, also a teacher of Physics Department of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), said once the device is built, it would detect cancer in just five minutes with only a cost of Taka 500.
Replying to a query, she said they have submitted applications simultaneously to Bangladesh and the United States of America on the basis of satisfactory and successful result in the primary examination.
“As the method is yet to apply anywhere in the world so we can hope it will pave a new potential way to diagnose cancer,” added Dr Yasmeen.
This noninvasive method of obtaining blood sample leads to non-linear optics based methods for non-destructive quick diagnosis of cancer.
An initial study has resulted in the submission of the provisional patent tiled “method and system based on non-linear optical characteristic of body fluids for diagnosis of neoplasia”.
The press conference was jointly organized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Education Ministry.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said the government and the World Bank under the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) provided the necessary fund for the research.
Mentioning that at present Taka 8 to 10 thousands with around 5-8 days are needed to diagnose cancer, he said the invention by the scientists of Bangladesh might reduce the cost and time.
UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan said cancer detection innovations will be a milestone for the country. “We are getting result as the government has increased fund for the research,” he added.
UGC’s Member Professor Yusuf Ali Molla, SUST Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed, Professor Dr. Sharif Md. Sharaf Uddin, WB Chief Operation Officer Dr. Mukhlesur Rahman, HEQEP Director Dr. Gouranga Chanda Muhanto, Researcher Manash kanti Biswas, among others, also spoke. SUST Professor Dr. Jafor Iqbal was also present.