Testing starts by placing a tissue sample, such as tissue from a tumor, in a small container. The optical attachment and the phone's camera capture multi-color fluorescence and bright-field images of the sample. They then feed data and images to an algorithm that analyzes DNA sequences and find mutations in the tissue. According to the researchers, their creation is powerful enough to detect small amount of cancer cells and other mutations in a large group of normal cells. Mats Nilsson, one of the team leaders, explained:

"It's very important to have these molecular testing approaches at a doctor's office or where care is being given. Oftentimes, advanced lab-based testing is performed at major hospitals, which is limiting, as not everyone has access to a hospital that can perform these tests."

By the way, health workers won't have to worry about running out of Nokia 1020 phones to buy from eBay. The researchers said that while the 1020's camera has an impressive magnification factor (2.6x), the attachment can be adapted to work with newer phones.