$200 'Mini' NMR detects cancer faster and cheaper than full biopsies

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Detecting cancer could be on the verge of getting a whole lot cheaper -- and better. Researchers at Harvard and MIT have come up with a device that, using a needle to get a tissue sample, has achieve 96 percent accuracy despite having a cost to produce of just $200. It's called a mini NMR (for nuclear magnet resonance) and also gives results in under an hour, giving the good or bad news on a smartphone display. The cost, simplicity, and portability could make it much easier for cancer to be caught and diagnosed early, but naturally it still has a good bit of testing left before it'll be ready for prime time.