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Researchers at a startup in Silicon Valley have developed a device which can detect several types of cancers by testing a drop of blood.

According to Business Standard, the device dubbed Miriam, detects microRNA in blood which can tell not just the presence of cancer but can also help identify the cancer type. The device takes about an hour to test blood and present results. Its makers say the objective is to make the device simple to use for everybody including untrained people in basic laboratories.

"We're talking about a decentralized system; the main challenge is to make it robust enough so it can be done by an untrained person anywhere in the world in not-so-optimal laboratory conditions," Fay Christodoulo, researcher and founder of the startup Miroculus that developed the device, told Wired.

The first step to use the device involves using an RNA extraction kit to prepare the sample. After sample preparation, it is pipetted into a plate containing 96 wells. Wired reported that the plates act as a trap for microRNA associated with common cancers. The plate is then placed in the device. If microRNA is present in the wells, they glow and the intensity of glow indicates the amount of molecules present. A database of information which is accessed by a system is able to determine the type of cancer.

Business Standard reported that the device costs $ 500 but is not available in the market yet. During their tests, the team could successfully detect liver cancer in mice.

The device has also received some skepticism. MicroRNA molecules are not just associated with cancer. Taking specific types of medication can also cause them to be present in blood. However with more research pointing to the validity of microRNA for detection of cancers like prostate cancer, marketable versions of devices like Miriam, can make early detection of cancers and their cure efficient.