Promising New Computer Chip Filters Out Cancer Cells
by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 10th 2008 at 4:22PM
Normally, we get excited when a slab of silicon makes our games run at a smooth 60 frames per-second, but in this case we're impressed with a new chip that filters out cancer cells. The device, created by some impressive souls at Princeton and Boston University, directs and focuses streams of cells in a liquid. Like a change sorter, it then separates regular cells form unusual ones. The silicon wafer is tacked with tiny pillars that catch abnormal cells that are, in the end, potentially cancerous. The device hasn't been used to any major extent, but we'll keep an eye on this promising discovery. [Source: New Scientist]
