Susana Soares' Glass Sculptures Use Honey Bees to Detect Cancer
Laura McQuarrie — November 25, 2013 — Tech
References: dezeen & swiss-miss
Susana Soares is a Portugese designer who has come up with a truly fascinating way to detect cancer that involves no kind of technology at all.
This method of cancer detection uses artfully blown glass sculptures that a patient can blow into. Trained bees are let into the glass and if they detect a particular odour from the patient’s breath, they will move into a secondary glass chamber.
Honey bees have a more acute sense of smell than sniffer dogs and scientists are using them to detect particular chemical scents associated with various cancers as well as other diseases like tuberculosis. What’s even more incredible is that the honey bees can be trained within 10 minutes. Soares’ cancer detecting device was recently showcased at Dutch Design Week 2013 and already, it has piqued the interests of several charities and as a means to detect early signs of illness in developing countries.
This method of cancer detection uses artfully blown glass sculptures that a patient can blow into. Trained bees are let into the glass and if they detect a particular odour from the patient’s breath, they will move into a secondary glass chamber.
Honey bees have a more acute sense of smell than sniffer dogs and scientists are using them to detect particular chemical scents associated with various cancers as well as other diseases like tuberculosis. What’s even more incredible is that the honey bees can be trained within 10 minutes. Soares’ cancer detecting device was recently showcased at Dutch Design Week 2013 and already, it has piqued the interests of several charities and as a means to detect early signs of illness in developing countries.
Trend Themes
1. Biosensing Technologies - Artfully blown glass sculptures that use trained bees to detect cancer showcase the potential of biosensing technologies.
2. Alternative Disease Detection Methods - The use of honey bees as disease detectors presents an alternative method for early detection of various diseases, including cancer and tuberculosis.
3. Low-cost Healthcare Solutions - The cancer-detecting bee containers offer a low-cost and accessible solution for detecting early signs of illness in developing countries.
Industry Implications
1. Medical Technology - The medical technology industry can explore the integration of biosensing technologies like the cancer-detecting bee containers in disease detection and diagnostic tools.
2. Biotechnology - Biotechnology companies can leverage the use of trained bees as disease detectors to develop innovative solutions for early disease detection and monitoring.
3. Nonprofit and Philanthropy - Nonprofit organizations and philanthropic foundations can support the implementation of low-cost healthcare solutions like the cancer-detecting bee containers in developing countries.
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