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Researchers have devised a new device that would help doctors distinguish between benign and malignant prostate tissue, according to a new study. 

With the help of visual analysis, doctors can reliably determine if they are dealing with  carcinoma within a minute-and-a-half. 

In the future, this research will be easier, faster and more precise - with an optical diagnostic device that researchers have developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden, the press release added. 

"The physician places the removed tissue sample on a base plate, slides it into the machine, presses a button - and within one and a half minutes, receives a reliable indication of whether the tissue in the sample is benign or malignant," described Dr. Jörg Opitz, scientist at IKTS, in the press release.

The device yields much faster results allowing doctors to talk with patients much sooner about the next steps to take. 

Another advantage of the device is its reliability.  "The analyses are based on the auto-fluorescence that human tissue emits", Opitz added. 

 As of now, the device can only be used for prostate cancer, as the threshold value of the unit only applies to this tissue. 

The prototype will be presented at the COMPAMED trade fair in Düsseldorf.