San Francisco
A new device has been developed by US-based firm Leuko, founded by a research team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to monitor cancer patients’ health during chemotherapy without blood tests. Chemotherapy often reduces white blood cell (WBC) counts, leading to a condition known as neutropenia, which makes patients vulnerable to infections. Traditionally, doctors monitor WBC levels through blood tests.
The new device offers a non-invasive method to monitor WBC counts. It uses light to examine the skin at the top of the fingernail and artificial intelligence to analyze WBC levels. This method can help doctors identify when WBC levels are dangerously low, allowing remote monitoring of patients.
Leuko’s co-founder and CEO, Carlos Castro-Gonzalez, mentioned that physicians are interested in the device’s potential for personalizing chemotherapy doses. If a patient does not develop neutropenia, the chemotherapy dose could be increased, tailoring treatment to each patient’s response.
The technology was initially developed by MIT researchers in 2015. A prototype was created, and a small study was conducted to validate the approach. In a 2019 study of 44 patients, the device successfully detected low WBC levels with minimal false positives.
Leuko has been collaborating with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for four years to design studies confirming the device’s accuracy and ease of use by untrained patients. A pivotal study is expected to begin later this year, aiming for FDA approval.
