THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The diagnosis of oral cancer is set to undergo a major overhaul with OralScan -- a handheld imaging device. Borne out of a joint initiative of startup Sascan Meditech Private Limited and the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), the device will be formally launched on Wednesday by Health Minister K K Shailaja.
A device for screening, detection and biopsy guidance, the innovation is expected to revolutionise the way oral cancer is diagnosed.
SCTIMST director Asha Kishore said, “OralScan is a Make-in-India initiative with seed funding from the science and technology department scheme, the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations.”
According to Subhash Narayanan, CEO of Sascan, oral cancer is a growing concern in India with a high mortality rate.
“The current practice relies on oral examinations using torchlight to detect early-stage oral cancer. Studies show this screening technique is not very reliable,” he said.