Tissue based diagnostic tools re used for in vitro and in vivo determination of physiological status or presence of disease, such as cancer, infectious diseases and inflammatory disorders. These medical devices can range from the simplest, such as thermometers, to complex ones like CT scanners. They can be self-used or require significant infrastructure and specialized health workforce for use.

Tissue pathology is a long-standing and successful approach to disease diagnosis based on correlation of specific histologic and cytologic appearances with underlying diseases. This link, called a diagnostic opinion, is based on gestaltism, a pathologist’s intuitive and largely unexplained knowledge and experience that can be augmented by advanced imaging tools (such as digital pathology).

Engineers are working to develop a new generation of tissue based diagnostic tools, including the next generation of histopathology imaging technologies, lab-on-a-chip platforms and molecular tools for detecting complex biomarkers. Their work is driven by the need to solve technical challenges that limit how quickly and accurately diseases can be detected.

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One such challenge is the standardization of collection, transport and fixation of tissue samples for optimal preservation and processing to support downstream genomics and molecular assays. To date, many tissue based diagnostic tests are not easily reproducible due to variations in the collection and staining process. Diffusion monitoring, a novel technology based on the measurement of the movement of molecules within tissues during fixation, could allow for real time assessment of sample quality and facilitate optimization of preanalytical steps for ideal biomarker preservation.