Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in women across the world. If screened early, 95% of women can survive stage-one breast cancer. However, the survival rate drops by 25% if the cancer is detected in stage four.
To support early screening and improve breast cancer survival rates, researchers at MIT have developed a wearable ultrasound breast scanner. This novel device is portable, can be incorporated into a bra and assists in detecting breast cancer in the early stages.
Let’s understand how this wearable scanner works, its potential and its limitations.
How does wearable ultrasound breast cancer detect breast cancer?
The wearable ultrasound scanner designed by MIT researchers is a novel device similar to a flexible patch that can be attached to a bra using magnets. It has a honeycomb-like structure that allows the ultrasound tracker to contact the skin through the openings of the bra.
Once attached, the wearer can move the tracker to six unique positions and generate breast tissue images from different angles. The study published by the researchers in Science Advances shows the resolution of these images is comparable to images generated using ultrasound probes in medical imaging centres.
The scanner is easy to use, doesn’t require medical expertise and allows the entire breast to be imaged.
Canan Dagdeviren, associate professor at MIT’s Media Lab, is the senior author of this study. Wenya Du, an MIT graduate student, Lin Zhang and Emma Suh ‘23, Research Scientists and Dabin Lin, a professor at Xi’an Technological University, are the lead authors of the study.
The technology behind the ultrasound breast scanner
The ultrasound breast scanner is a miniaturised version of the same ultrasound technology used in medical imaging centres. It incorporates a novel piezoelectric material that helped researchers reduce the size of the ultrasound probe, AKA tracker.
The device is made of a 3D printed patch that allows easy movement of the tracker through different points on the breast.
“This technology provides a fundamental capability in the detection and early diagnosis of breast cancer, which is key to a positive outcome. This work will significantly advance ultrasound research and medical device designs, leveraging advances in materials, low-power circuits, AI algorithms, and biomedical systems.”
-One of the authors of the study, Anantha Chandrakasan, the dean of MIT’s School of Engineering and Vannevar Bush Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
While this device must be connected to an ultrasound machine used in imaging centres to see the tissue images, researchers are working to miniaturise the imaging system and make it as handy as a smartphone.
The researchers also hope to develop a workflow to enable the use of artificial intelligence to analyse the changes in breast tissue over time. This could offer more accurate and early diagnosis without the need to visit imaging centres or rely on radiologists to interpret the ultrasound image.
Results published in the study
The researchers tested their novel device on a 71-year-old woman with a history of breast cysts. The device detected cysts as small as 0.3 cm in diameter, the size of early-stage tumours. They also showed the ultrasound images generated had resolution comparable to traditional ultrasound, and the device could image tissue up to 8 cm depth.
“This technology holds the promise of breaking down the many barriers to early breast cancer detection by providing a more reliable, comfortable, and less intimidating diagnostic.”
-another author of the study Catherine Ricciardi, a nurse director at MIT’s Center for Clinical and Translational Research.
The motivation behind the study
Dagdeviren drew inspiration for the study from his late aunt, who was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer at the age of 49, despite regular breast cancer screening. She passed away within six months of the tumour detection.
At her aunt’s bedside, Dagdeviren sketched the idea of a diagnostic bra that could allow frequent screening for individuals at high risk for interval cancers.
Women are advised to screen for breast cancer every three years after menopause, as they are at high risk of developing it. Interval cancers are breast tumours that develop in between regularly scheduled screenings. They account for 20 to 30 percent of breast cancer cases and tend to be more aggressive than tumours found during routine scans.
“My goal is to target the people who are most likely to develop interval cancer. With more frequent screening, we aim to increase the survival rate to up to 98 per cent.”
– Canan Dagdeviren.
The potential of the ultrasound breast scanner
Improve accessibility
Currently, mammogram, an X-ray imaging method, is commonly used to screen for breast cancer. While mammograms are effective, they can only be done in specialised imaging centres and require experienced personnel, making them inaccessible to remote areas or people with low incomes.
The wearable ultrasound patch is portable and reusable, allowing high-risk patients to frequently screen for breast cancer in the comfort of their homes. Researchers envision that the device could help people who don’t have access to specialised imaging centres or cannot afford regular screening.
Mammograms also expose patients to radiation and, therefore, can’t be recommended as regularly as ultrasound screening.
“This is a wearable ultrasound device that could allow people to detect tumours early and help patients at high risk of developing breast cancer in between routine mammograms. […] It is a safe way to track changes in soft tissue in real-time.”
– said Dr Kamila Seilhan, a board-certified physician and Chief Medical Director with LabFinder.com, not involved in the research, in a statement to Medical News Today.
Reduced costs
The novel wearable scanner is a low-cost, reusable and easy-to-use device that will make it easier for healthcare facilities with limited funds to purchase it. Also, it may reduce the need for expert personnel to perform the screening.
When will the wearable breast scanner be available for commercial use?
Dagdeviren, in a statement to Medical News Today, said that it may take 4 to 5 years for the device to be available for public use. She is launching a company and looking for investors and partners to make this possible.
Now that the research is published, the team is working on developing a compact smartphone-sized image processor and AI-supported workflow to complete the product. They will also need to conduct clinical trials and get FDA approval before the device becomes available to the public.
What do healthcare experts say about the wearable ultrasound breast scanner?
Medical News Today spoke to several healthcare experts; While some were enthusiastic about the device, others believe that the device is still in the early development stages and thus has many limitations.
Experts say the device doesn’t have any scientific data to prove its utility, and the images provided in the study have poor quality compared to traditional ultrasound.
While ultrasound is an effective tool to detect breast cancer, it is used with mammograms and cannot replace them. Doctors opine that some irregularities in breast tissue can only be detected through mammograms.
Several novel devices also create false alarms, leading to unnecessary tension and urgency. Researchers will have to conduct clinical trials and prove the device’s efficacy before it can be launched for public use.
Experts also stress the complexities of clinical trials and adopt a wait-and-watch approach to see how the researchers convert translational science to a device with clinical efficacy.
Parting words
Several startups, companies and researchers have come up with novel tools, techniques and devices to screen for breast cancer. The Blue Box aims to screen breast cancer through urine analysis. Niramai uses thermal screening for breast cancer detection, and Dotplot uses sound waves to detect cancer.
iSono Health has a similar product, Atusa, an AI-driven, portable and automated ultrasound breast scanner. It is FDA-approved and currently available for research.
While several new techs have been developed in recent years, only a few have managed to make it to the market. It’ll be interesting to see whether this wearable ultrasound scanner will hit the market or stay confined to research labs.
