PhotoSpIMeDx Pvt. Ltd., an emerging healthcare technology startup incubated at SIIC, IIT Kanpur, is pioneering innovations in diagnostic devices. With a strong focus on research and development, the company has made significant strides in designing a smartphone-based fluorescence spectroscopy tool aimed at diagnosing cervical cancer through minimally invasive methods. This groundbreaking device leverages AI/ML techniques to classify different grades of cervical cancer by analyzing spectral differences captured in the tissue’s intrinsic fluorescence.
Their core innovation is a standalone, field-portable, smartphone-integrated device, designed to be both accessible and affordable. It employs advanced Biophotonics technology, utilizing fluorescence spectroscopy and imaging to ensure precise, non-invasive diagnostics.
In an exclusive conversation with The Interview World, Subrata Mishra, CEO of PhotoSpIMeDx, delves into the potential impact of this cutting-edge device. She explains how it democratizes cancer detection, emphasizes the accuracy of the technology, and sheds light on its commercialization journey. She also shares insights into the clinical success rates, underscoring the future of affordable and effective healthcare solutions. Here are the highlights from her insightful conversation.
Q: Could you provide more details about the portable device you’ve developed for cervical cancer detection, particularly how it enables a minimally invasive diagnostic process?
A: We’ve engineered a groundbreaking, smartphone-based fluorescence spectroscopic device designed for the early detection of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer remains the second most prevalent cancer among women in India, and the real challenge lies in the lack of widespread screening paired with outdated, conventional methods. Traditional approaches, like the pap smear and colposcopy, are both time-consuming and prohibitively expensive. Not to mention, biopsies are invasive, rarely introducing cancerous cells into the system during the process. Our innovation, however, is completely non-invasive—utilizing fluorescence-based spectroscopy to detect the disease with precision and ease.
Here’s how it works: our tissues contain various biomolecules, including fluorophores, which naturally generate fluorescence. We target two specific molecules—FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) and porphyrin. These molecules emit light, and our device captures the emitted spectra, allowing us to probe the spectral differences as the disease progresses. What’s key is that during the advancement of cervical cancer, the concentration of these molecules changes—FAD decreases, while porphyrin increases. For instance, porphyrin peaks at around 630 nm, while FAD exhibits a break at around 500 nm. This is the foundation of our detection process.
Once we collect the data, the images are captured in Digital Negative Format (DNG), processed into Tag Image File Format (TIFF), and analyzed for intrinsic fluorescence. With the help of AI, we classify the disease—identifying whether it’s in the normal, pre-cancerous, or cancerous stage. This process is fast, affordable, and most importantly, non-invasive—paving the way for more accessible and effective cervical cancer screening.
Q: How can an everyday woman easily access this technology for cervical cancer screening?
A: Women won’t need to handle the device themselves. It’s specifically designed for use by trained professionals, ensuring accurate data capture. Once the data is processed through the smartphone, the results are immediate—no waiting. With conventional methods like the pap smear, results take three to four days, and colposcopy-guided cervical biopsies can drag on for 7 to 20 days.
But our device changes the game entirely. It delivers real-time analysis, allowing professionals to instantly determine whether the condition is cancerous, pre-cancerous, or normal. The speed, accuracy, and immediacy of this technology are transformative for early diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Q: Can you explain how the underlying technology works to capture these insights from humans?
A: Our device is a fluorescence spectroscopic tool, and here’s where the innovation lies: we use both laser and white light to achieve precise results. The laser captures the fluorescence, while the white light helps with scattering. Fluorophores—those light-emitting biomolecules—are already present in the tissue, but due to absorption and scattering effects within biological molecules, we typically can’t detect them.
What we do is collect data from four cross positions, capturing both fluorescence and white light scattering data. Then, through advanced processing, we isolate only the critical fluorescence signals, eliminating any interference from absorption or scattering. This means we’re able to extract the pure fluorescence data—specifically, the FAD fluorescence and other targeted emissions. From there, we analyze the clean fluorescence signals to deliver precise, actionable insights into the condition.
Q: Can you provide insights into the accuracy of the data obtained through this device?
A: With an accuracy level exceeding 96%, one can conclude that the diagnosis of cervical cancer is veritable.
Q: Has this product been commercialized, or is it still in the pilot phase?
A: We are currently in the commercialization phase, with clinical testing actively underway. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) will validate our findings sooner. Following this crucial step, we plan to bring this technology to market. Remarkably, our screening costs a mere Rs. 100, making it an affordable option for patients, even in remote areas.
Q: What is the success rate of the clinical tests as reported by various agencies?
A: We are actively collaborating with leading medical institutions, including AIIMS Bhubaneswar, SCB Medical College and Hospital, Acharya Harihar Post Graduate Institute of Cancer, J.K. Cancer Institute, and GSVM Medical College. These partnerships are yielding exceptional results, providing us with robust data for analysis. Impressively, our accuracy rate remains above 96 percent. We’ve meticulously mapped this data against actual tests, using biopsy as our gold standard, and also comparing it with colonoscopy results. The findings are genuinely thrilling and promise significant advancements in cervical cancer detection.
