PERTH—An innovative cancer screening tool called the DermR Patch, which can be applied in less than a minute and has the potential to replace more invasive biopsy procedures, has been developed by Australian genomics researcher Stefan Mazy and his team. According to Anadolu Agency citing local media, the new technology could save thousands of lives by providing a quicker, less invasive method of detecting skin cancer.

According to SBS News, Stefan Mazy worked with a team of four to create the DermR Patch, a first-of-its-kind screening tool that uses microneedles to detect cancerous lesions in the skin. The tiny needles, less than a millimeter long, penetrate the skin to a similar depth to collect small tissue samples. "The patch is applied with a little bit of pressure and a slight twisting motion to secure the tissue sample, and it’s all over in about 15 seconds," Mazy detailed.

The DermR Patch was first trialed clinically in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia in May. While the final results of this initial trial are still pending, the early outcomes have been described as promising by Mazy. Plans for a second, larger clinical trial are underway and expected to commence within the next six to twelve months.