A non-invasive approach to skin cancer diagnosis via graphene electrical tattoos and electrical impedance tomography

Abstract

Abstract Objective. Making up one of the largest shares of diagnosed cancers worldwide, skin cancer is also one of the most treatable. However, this is contingent upon early diagnosis and correct skin cancer-type differentiation. Currently, methods for early detection that are accurate, rapid, and non-invasive are limited. However, literature demonstrating the impedance differences between benign and malignant skin cancers, as well as between different types of skin cancer, show that methods based on impedance differentiation may be promising. Approach. In this work, we propose a novel approach to rapid and non-invasive skin cancer diagnosis that leverages the technologies of difference-based electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and graphene electronic tattoos (GETs). Main results. We demonstrate the feasibility of this first-of-its-kind system using both computational numerical and experimental skin phantom models. We considered variations in skin cancer lesion impedance, size, shape, and position relative to the electrodes and evaluated the impact of using individual and multi-electrode GET (mGET) arrays. The results demonstrate that this approach has the potential to differentiate based on lesion impedance, size, and position, but additional techniques are needed to determine shape. Significance. In this way, the system proposed in this work, which combines both EIT and GET technology, exhibits potential as an entirely non-invasive and rapid approach to skin cancer diagnosis.