Using a drop of blood from a patient, the PiPP targets two cancer markers: carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), which is linked to colorectal cancer, and prostate-specific antigen (PSA), which indicates prostate cancer.

CEA and PSA show up in the blood in the early stages of cancer, making them historically difficult to detect. However, the new device can catch these markers at low concentrations, making them roughly 10 times more sensitive than testing kits on the market.