SBIR Phase I: Prostate cancer diagnosis with an integrated endorectal MRI and targeted transrectal biopsy

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve detection of prostate cancer, a highly prevalent fatal cancer in men. Approximately one million prostate biopsies are performed annually in the U.S. Unfortunately the standard diagnostic method is imprecise and inefficient. The proposed project will advance a new method that uses Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to target biopsies for improved detection. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will advance diagnosis of prostate cancer by developing a system that combines an endorectal MRI coil and a multichannel array of transrectal biopsy needle guides and allows for endorectal MRI with in-bore biopsy as a single rapid integrated procedure. The project will advance a procedure that optimally combines endorectal MRI and MRI-targeted biopsy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.