A SYNCHRONIZED FLYING-SPOT TRANSILLUMINATION DEVICE

THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO CONSTRUCT, TEST AND PREPARE FOR A LATER CLINICAL TRIAL (BY OTHERS), A FLYING-SPOT INFRA-RED (IR) OR NEAR-IR TRANSILLUMINATOR, WHICH MIGHT HAVE USE AS AN ADJUNCTIVE BREAST-CANCER EXAMINATION MODALITY. THE INSTRUMENT DIFFERS FROM PREVIOUS DESIGNS BY THIS AND OTHER GROUPS IN THAT MECHANICAL TRANSLATION OF THE OBJECT IS AVOIDED, IN THAT A NEW INPUT-OUTPUT SYNCHRONIZATION TECHNIQUE IS USED AND IN THAT THTE EQUIPMENT CONFIGURATION CAN CLOSELY MATCH THAT OF THE STANDARD X-RAY MAMMOGRAPHIC EQUIPMENT WITH WHICH THE NEW DEVICE WOULD BE COMPARED IN CLINICAL TRIALS; THIS WOULD ELIMINATE A CONFUSING VARIABLE IN COMPARISONS OF TRANSILLUMINATION AND X-RAY EQUIPMENT. THE ADVANTAGES OF THE EQUIPMENT ARE EXPECTED TO BE (1) IMPROVED CONTRAST (AND SECONDARILY RESOLUTION), THEREBY INCREASING THE VALUE OF TRANSILLUMINATION AS A DIAGNOSTIC ADJUNCT; (2) ORTHODIASCOPIC (DISTROTION-FREE) IMAGING; (3) DIGITAL OUTPUT, FACILITATING MULTI-WAVELENGTH EXAMINATIONS AND CONTRAST MANIPULATION; (4) DAYLIGHT OPERATION; (5) SENSITIVITY TO CHEMICAL AS WELL AS PHYSICAL COMPOSITION, FACILITATING USE OF CHEMICAL CONTRAST AGENTS; (6) RELATIVELY LOW INSTALLATION AND OPERATIONAL COST; AND (7) NO PATIENT DOSE.