A portable ultrasound sensor may enable earlier detection of breast cancer

MIT researchers have developed a miniaturized ultrasound system intended to facilitate more frequent breast cancer screenings for high risk individuals. The system pairs a small ultrasound probe with an acquisition and processing module slightly larger than a smartphone. When connected to a laptop, it reconstructs and displays wide angle 3D images in real time. The compact design seeks to overcome the need for large, expensive machines and highly trained technicians. Canan Dagdeviren, an associate professor of media arts and sciences at MIT, stated that everything is more compact and that can make it easier to be used in rural areas or for people who may have barriers to this kind of technology. With this system, more tumors could potentially be detected earlier. The research team tested the device on a 71 year old woman with a history of breast cysts. It produced accurate 3D images of the tissue with no gaps and reached depths of up to 15 centimeters without distortion. The motherboard processes data at a cost of about 300 dollars using commercially available electronics. Colin Marcus and Md Osman Goni Nayeem led the study, which appears in the journal Advanced Healthcare Materials. The researchers are now running a larger clinical trial and developing an even smaller version of the system.