Sub resonance AFM imaging coupled with machine-learning to identify cancer*

We report on a new approach in diagnostic imaging based on nanoscale-resolution scanning of surfaces of cells collected from body fluids using, sub-resonance AFM tapping, Ringing mode, and machine leaning analysis. The surface parameters, which are typically used in engineering to describe surfaces, are used to classify cells. The method is applied to the detection of bladder cancer, which is one of the most common human malignancies and the most expensive cancer to treat. The method, which utilizes cells collected from urine, shows 94% diagnostic accuracy when examining five cells per patient’s urine sample. It is a statistically significant improvement (p<0.05) in diagnostic accuracy compared to the currently used clinical standard, cystoscopy, as verified on 43 control and 25 bladder cancer patients. Furthermore, the described approach can be extended to detect cell abnormalities beyond cancer as well as to monitor cell reaction to various drugs (nanopharmacology). Thus, this approach may suggest a whole new direction of diagnostic imaging.