Integrated cervical smear screening using liquid based cytology and bioimpedance analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To minimize the false negativity in cervical cancer screening with Papanicolaou (Pap) test, there is a need to explore novel cytological technique and identification of unique and important cellular features from the perspectives of morphological as well as biophysical properties.


METHODS
The present study explores the feasibility of low-cost cervical monolayer techniques in extracting cyto-pathological features to classify normal and abnormal conditions. The cervical cells were also analyzed in respect to their electrical bioimpedance.


RESULTS
The results show that newly developed monolayer technique for cervical smears is cost effective, capable of cyto-pathological evaluation. Electrical bioimpedance study evidenced distinction between abnormal and normal cell population at more than two order of magnitude difference.


CONCLUSIONS
The integration of bioimpedance observation along with the proposed low-cost monolayer technology could increase the efficiency of the cervical screening to a greater extent thereby reducing the rates of faulty diagnosis.
School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.
Lopamudra
L
Das
Department of Radiology, Apollo Gleanengles Hospital, Midnapore, India.
Tandra
T
Sarkar
Department of Pathology, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital, Midnapore, India.
Ashok K
AK
Maiti
Department of Pathology, Calcutta National Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Sukla
S
Naskar
School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.
Soumen
S
Das
School of Medical Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.
Jyotirmoy
J
Chatterjee
Cervical cytology screening; electrical bioimpedance; liquid based technology; morphometric features; semi-automated analysis