Biometric diagnosis

Abstract

The invention provides a method of detecting neoplastic or neurological disorders comprising exposing skin or nails to X-ray diffraction and detecting changes in the ultrastructure of the skin or nails, and also provides an instrument when used in the method of detection.

1 . A method of detecting neoplastic or neurological disorders in a subject, the method comprising exposing biological material of the subject to fibre X-ray diffraction, and detecting changes in the ultrastructure of the biological material, wherein the biological material is a skin or nail sample, and wherein when the biological material is a skin sample, the neoplastic disorder is not BRAC1-related breast cancer. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the X-rays are derived from an X-ray source with energies between 5 and 25 keV and wavelengths between 0.06 and 0.20 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the source is a low-angle synchrotron facility. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material is a skin sample and the neoplastic disorder is prostate cancer or BRCA1-unrelated breast cancer. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material is a nail sample and the neoplastic disorder is breast cancer or colon cancer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biological material is a nail sample and the neurological disorder is Alzheimer's disease. 
     
     
         7 . An instrument when used in the method of  claim 1 , the instrument comprising: an X-ray source producing a beam of X-radiation; a sample stage for positioning the biological sample within the beam; a detector for detecting scattering of the X-ray beam; and a display means associated with the detector for displaying the output of the detector; whereby patterns of output related to the presence of the disorder are displayed for interpretation. 
     
     
         8 . The instrument of  claim 7 , wherein the X-rays are derived from a monochromatic X-ray source with energies between 5 and 25 keV and wavelengths between 0.06 and 0.20 nm. 
     
     
         9 . The instrument of  claim 8 , wherein the source is a low-angle synchrotron facility.