Portable AI spectrometer to detect cancer in saliva and blood
A miniaturized neural network enabled nanoplasmonic spectroscopy platform for label-free cancer detection in biofluids
A tiny device uses AI-enhanced infrared spectroscopy to look for cancer-related signals in saliva or blood from people at risk of head and neck cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11301900 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would give a small saliva or blood sample that the team reads with a miniaturized plasmonic sensor that captures infrared fingerprints of many molecules. A neural network processes the whole spectrum rather than searching for a single marker, aiming to recognize patterns linked to head and neck cancer. The approach is label-free and designed to be portable so it could be used for quicker, less invasive screening and monitoring. The project develops and trains the device using patient biofluids and laboratory validation before clinical use.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults with suspected or diagnosed head and neck cancer or people at higher risk who can provide saliva or blood samples for testing.
Not a fit: People without head and neck cancer or those unable to provide usable saliva or blood samples are unlikely to benefit directly from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could enable faster, cheaper, and less invasive early detection and monitoring of head and neck cancer using saliva or blood samples.
How similar studies have performed: Existing laboratory methods like mass spectrometry and FTIR have shown promise for detecting cancer-related metabolites, but a miniaturized, AI-driven plasmonic device like this is a novel approach.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gomez Diaz, Juan Sebastian — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Gomez Diaz, Juan Sebastian
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.