Mini-pump technology could help detect lung cancer

Disc Pump, which is about the size of two £2 coins stacked together, is part of the LuCID (Lung Cancer Indicator Detection) programme developed by Cambridge manufacturer Owlstone. The programme hopes to deliver a cheaper, smaller and non-invasive method of identifying pulmonary disease.

Working at ultrasonic frequencies, Disc Pump cycles 21,000 times per second. Each of these cycles passes a minute volume of air (100 nanolitres) over sensors, allowing the detection of low concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). These compounds can be early-stage indicators of diseases including lung cancer.

“TTP’s novel pump enables us to get the best out of our gas analyser and create a more responsive, more sensitive lung cancer detector,” said Alastair Taylor, chief product manager at Owlstone.

The pump can be configured to deliver pressures of 400mbar and flow rates exceeding 1L/min with fully adjustable control. According to TTP, the rate at which each pin-head-sized sample of air is captured makes it effective at identifying very low concentrations, with the even flow and high number of cycles improving the quality of measurements.