• MIT develops a wearable ultrasound scanner for breast cancer early detection.
• AI uses ultrasound images for home monitoring and early breast tumor imaging.
• Researchers develop portable systems with limited imaging resolution.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is working on a wearable ultrasound scanner that can be linked to a bra to help women who are at high risk for breast cancer find tumors early and increase their chances of survival.

The device has a “honeycomb” pattern that provides an ideal field of view and attaches to the bra like a patch. An ultrasound image in black and white is produced once an ultrasound wave enters the targeted breast tissue and is reflected. Cysts as small as 0.3 centimeters in diameter, or around the size of tumors in the early stages of the disease, can be seen on the gadget.

Breast cancer screening

The tool is not meant to take the place of traditional screenings conducted by medical professionals. This device may be used in place of the traditional handheld probe or ABUS system for home monitoring and personal health care during the early stages of breast tumor imaging. Artificial intelligence will be used by researchers to evaluate ultrasound images and offer diagnostic advice.

This technology can be a valuable addition to current screening techniques for the diagnosis of breast tumors, making long-term breast imaging effective and practical.

Future studies will analyze ultrasound images and offer diagnostic advice using artificial intelligence. Through data analysis, AI integration has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy. It also holds promise for early detection and individualized therapy routes for various diseases.

The apparatus that gathers all of the data is now huge and immovable, and the device needs a lengthy, flexible connection to connect the image processing system.

In a few months, the researchers intend to publish their portable system, which they are now developing. The imaging resolution is “sufficient, but not superior,” and researchers are experimenting with different image-processing techniques.

Although technology has the power to save lives, it cannot take the place of routine mammograms and other forms of preventive care provided by a breast cancer specialist. To be successful, its implementation will need to be well thought out, including thorough testing, adherence to current medical norms, and ethical considerations.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most prevalent disease in American women, accounting for one in three of all female cancer diagnoses each year, after skin cancers.

Breast cancer has a 99% five-year survival rate when detected early. Only 25% of patients survive if it is discovered in an advanced stage.