SBIR Phase I: UltraWave: A Combined Breast Imaging Solution

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research proposal is to experimentally verify the feasibility of combining ultrasound imaging and microwave imaging for the detection of malignant cells. This effort will investigate the feasibility of a novel medical imaging solution that provides high resolution images matching the quality of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) systems at the high throughput and low cost of X-ray systems. This involves coupling an ultrasound subsystem for exciting target tissues with a microwave subsystem for measuring the response and imaging the target tissues. The system combines the superior penetration and resolution characteristics of focused high-frequency ultrasound input waves, and the superior penetration and detection capacity of microwave detection and imaging. Breast cancer is among the most common forms of cancer for nonsmokers. Among the 1.2 million women diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, 0.5 million died from the disease. Recent research studies at Sloan Kettering Hospital show that mammography detects only 50% of breast cancer cases at an early stage. Breast cancer has received a great deal of attention due to the inadequacy of existing screening technologies for early-stage detection. These recent findings emphasize the immense financial burden on patients and the medical community since MRI screenings cost about $1,500, i.e. nearly 10 times more than X-ray mammography. Consequently, there is a dire need for an imaging solution that matches the resolution and quality of MRI at the cost of X-ray mammography.