Boy is creating a cancer detection device

"A few years ago my grandfather died from lung cancer. And my dad is a cancer researcher. And I do a lot of robotics. So I wanted to help solve that problem," he said.

Devin has been creating this device since he was 11 years old.

His invention works by using 3D printing technology and special algorithms to automate cancer detection processes, which are usually time-consuming and tedious. The algorithms that Devin created try to determine whether a tumor is cancerous or benign, and helps guide pathologists on where to look for cancer in a given sample.

“The goal of my project is to increase the accuracy and speed of diagnoses using a low-cost robotics platform. I'm getting the video stream from a microscope camera. And it's connected to a computer. It would take multiple images and then stitch those images together—basically auto-detect what a pathologist would find in a tissue sample—and give them a map on where to look on the slide”, the inventor explained.

One of the other advantages of this device is its cost. According to the boy, the SLIDEMAP machine only costs about $1,500 to make. Most cancer detection machines on the market can cost up to $250,000.

Devin is a finalist in the Discovery Education and 3M Young Scientist Challenge, which awards students in grades 5 through 8 who have innovative solutions to global problems.

Adapted from: http://bit.ly/2wmCAJv
https://youtu.be/dI09b_HnwwI