Label-free method for rapid cancer diagnosis

(Ruhr-University Bochum) Researchers in Bochum have deployed a novel infrared (IR) microscope with quantum cascade lasers in order to analyze tissue samples taken during routine clinical procedures for colorectal cancer diagnosis. The IR microscope used to date had not yet established itself as a diagnostic tool in hospitals, as the analyses used to take too long. By utilizing the new laser technology, the researchers reduced the time required for analysis from one day to a few minutes.