Differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) is a method for measuring and analyzing chemical compounds. DMS, among other purposes, can be used in brain cancer surgery. Most of the time brain cancers are treated by surgical removal of the affected tissue using diathermy knifes that create surgical smoke.
The main challenge is that it is extremely challenging for the surgeon to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissue, which often leads to incomplete removal of the tumor, making re-operation necessary. Quite often there is a need for the second surgical operation due to incompletely removed cancerous tissue.
It is possible to avoid such situations by obtaining information about the margin between healthy and cancerous tissue.
In his doctoral dissertation, Anton Rauhameri and his research group demonstrate that it is possible to differentiate between healthy and cancerous tissue based on DMS measurements from their surgical smoke. However, one of the challenges is the inability to interpret DMS measurement results visually.
Rauhameri's dissertation explores machine learning methods for automated analysis of DMS measurements.
Generally, the dissertation demonstrates that it is possible to differentiate between types of brain cancers using rather simple machine learning algorithms. However, practical testing of such algorithms showed only satisfying results due to changing environmental parameters. This method needs new points of view and more sophisticated algorithms to be applied. Therefore, new approaches for analyzing DMS measurements are presented in the dissertation.
Public defence on Tuesday 3 June
The doctoral dissertation of MSc (Tech) Anton Rauhameri in the field of biomedical technology titled Classification and Analysis of Differential Mobility Spectrometry Measurements will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology at Tampere University at 12 o'clock on Tuesday 3.6.2025 at Hervanta campus, Tietotalo building, auditorium TB104 (Korkeakoulunkatu 7, Tampere). The opponent will be Professor Santiago Marco Colas, Universitat de Barcelona. The Custos will be Professor Antti Vehkaoja, Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University.