Oral cancer remains a serious health threat in Indonesia. In 2017, the country recorded 5,329 cases of oral cancer out of 18,071 total cancer cases, placing Indonesia sixth in Southeast Asia for oral cancer incidence. This alarming rate is further exacerbated by the fact that most patients are diagnosed only at advanced stages due to early symptoms being difficult to identify. Ironically, conventional diagnostic methods such as biopsies often pose challenges for patients, as the procedure is painful, costly, and requires long waiting times for results, delaying early treatment efforts.
To address this issue, a research team from Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) under the Student Creativity Program for Innovative Work (Program Kreativitas Mahasiswa Karya Cipta/PKM-KC) developed a groundbreaking technological innovation named Orside: Portable Fluorescence-Based Pre-Cancerous Lesion Detector with Deep Learning Convolutional Neural Network (CNN).
This innovation is designed to revolutionize early detection and significantly reduce diagnostic time for oral cancer.
Heironymus Damar Jati Danisworo, the team leader, explained that the core of the innovation lies in combining fluorescence technology with artificial intelligence. This advanced integration enables rapid and accurate examinations of pre-cancerous lesions at the point of care.
“We aim to develop a technology that accelerates detection, provides greater comfort for patients, and at the same time ensures high accuracy for medical professionals,” said Danisworo on Monday (Oct. 6).
Technically, Orside utilizes blue fluorescence light to distinguish between healthy and abnormal tissues in the oral cavity. A mini camera connected via Bluetooth captures images of the tissue, which are then analyzed using a sophisticated CNN algorithm.
The strength of the AI lies in its ability to detect microscopic patterns invisible to the human eye, thereby improving diagnostic precision.
“The analyzed data can be immediately stored in the cloud and accessed in real time by doctors, making the examination process much more efficient,” explained Aurelius Galih Arkananta, a member of the Orside Team from the UGM Faculty of Engineering (FT UGM).
In addition to accuracy, Orside was designed with attention to safety, comfort, and portability for field use. Hikmat Sejati, a student from the UGM Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA UGM), who worked on the interface system, ensured seamless integration between software and hardware.
“We designed the system so that the analysis results can be clearly displayed through an application, making it easy for medical personnel to operate under various conditions,” he said.
Orside also features a portable and ergonomic design equipped with an ultraviolet (UV) sterilization system on its cover to prevent cross-patient infections.
“This procedure is far safer than conventional methods. We hope this innovation raises public awareness about the importance of early oral health screening,” stated Fatimah Islamia, a team member from the UGM Faculty of Dentistry (FKG UGM).
Her colleague, Tyasadwi Bumi, also from FKG UGM, emphasized, “Early detection can significantly improve patients’ survival rates.”
The innovation was developed through cross-disciplinary collaboration among five UGM students: Heironymus Damar Jati Danisworo and Aurelius Galih Arkananta from FT UGM, Hikmat Sejati from FMIPA UGM, and Fatimah Islamia and Tyasadwi Bumi from FKG UGM. The team worked under the supervision of Dr. Indra Bramanti from FKG UGM.
Dr. Bramanti viewed Orside as a tangible example of interdisciplinary synergy at UGM. She noted that the innovation demonstrates the successful integration of engineering, dentistry, and computer science to produce a practical medical solution with strong potential for implementation in primary healthcare.
She hopes that Orside will make a meaningful contribution from UGM in reducing mortality from oral cancer and strengthening the university’s role in advancing health technology innovations for the broader community.
Author: Aldi Firmansyah
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Rajendra Arya
Photograph: Orside Team