SECO Program Solicitation NSF 13-551: Microwave Nearfield Radar Imaging (NRI) Using Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) for Non-Invasive Breast Cancer Detection.

长期以来，对乳腺癌的早期、准确检测一直是医学上的首要任务。马萨诸塞州总医院(MGH)的研究伙伴最近开发的数字乳房断层摄影(DBT)的临床成功显示，与传统的乳房X光摄影相比，错误警报减少了。然而，尽管DBT？S增强了检测能力，但癌组织和常见的纤维腺组织之间1%的放射学对比度限制了病变组织的明确特征。另外，由于癌组织和纤维腺组织之间的对比度相对较高(10%)，微波成像在区分疾病和健康组织方面具有很强的潜力。然而，乳腺组织的高度异质性，即纤维腺组织随机散布在脂肪背景中，导致微波图像混乱，导致图像重建质量下降。与东北大学S戈登地下传感与成像系统中心(戈登-CenSSIS)ERC的合作伙伴合作，HXI提出了将DBTX图像与微波近场雷达图像(NRI)融合，并建立在ERC平台技术开发的图像提取技术基础上，为了显著提高乳腺癌的发现率，建议的活动将帮助科学界和医学界提高对微波NRI方法在乳腺癌检测中的有效性的认识和理解。我们的方法基于使用基于高分辨率X射线的DBT成像来获得异质乳腺组织的空间组织，并将其作为先验信息耦合到NRI进行三维重建。这一全新的变革性概念以前从未被研究过，它有可能克服单一模式乳腺癌成像技术的限制。该项目汇集了来自多个学科的专业知识：1)HXI，世界雷达设计专家，将构建NRI传感器和天线阵列；2)CenSSIS将提供其平台技术算法，以执行生物组织的传感、成像和特征提取，并进行体模实验；3)MGH的顾问将提供医学专业知识。我们的方法，使用新的但经过验证的成像系统，允许快速过渡到工业产品开发。该项目通过将转化研究应用于商业化，并获得CENSSIS？IPTO到HXI。此外，NRI/DBT系统有可能扩大HXI？S的市面微波和射频产品组合。该项目的更广泛影响是多方面的，包括提高乳腺癌的发现率，通过减少假阳性筛查将治疗成本降至最低，以及防止患者经历回拨检查造成的焦虑。今天，乳房X光检查允许10-15%的癌症在一年内未被发现并出现。在美国，每年大约有4500万人进行乳房X光检查，假阳性率为8%-10%。这相当于每年有400多万次回拨考试。随着全球市场以15.4%的复合年增长率增长，开发更好的成像系统是当务之急，从女性S的健康、情感负担和医疗成本来看。

Early, accurate detection of breast cancer has long been a top medical priority. Recent clinicalsuccess using Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) developed by our Massachusetts General Hospital(MGH) research partners shows reduced false alarms relative to conventional mammography.However, despite DBT?s enhanced detection capability, the 1% radiological contrast betweencancerous tissue and commonly-occurring fibroglandular tissue limits the unequivocal characterizationof diseased tissue. Alternatively, due to the relatively high contrast (10%) between cancerand fibro-glandular tissue, microwave imaging has a strong potential to distinguish diseasedfrom healthy tissue. However, the often highly heterogeneous nature of breast tissue, wherefibroglandular tissue is randomly interspersed in the adipose background, results in disorganizedmicrowave images resulting in degraded image reconstruction.In collaboration with our research partners at Northeastern University?s Gordon Center forSubsurface Sensing and Imaging Systems (Gordon-CenSSIS) ERC, HXI proposes to fuse the DBTX-ray imagery with microwave Nearfield Radar Imagery (NRI), and by building upon the imageextraction techniques developed by ERC platform technology, to significantly improve the canceroustissue detection rate.The proposed activities will help the scientific/medical community to advance the knowledgeand understanding of the effectiveness of microwave NRI method in detecting breast cancer.Our approach is based on the use of high resolution X-ray-based DBT imaging to obtain thespatial organization of heterogeneous breast tissues and on coupling it as prior informationto NRI for 3-D reconstruction. This completely new transformative concept has not been previouslyinvestigated, and it has the potential to overcome the limitations of a single-modality breastcancer imaging technology.This project brings together expertise from multiple disciplines:1) HXI, world experts in radar design, will build the NRI sensor and antenna array;2) CenSSIS will provide its platform technology algorithms to perform the sensing, imagingand feature extraction of biological tissues and conduct phantom experiments; and3) Consultants from the MGH will provide medical expertise.Our approach, using new but validated imaging systems, allows for rapid transition to industrialproduct development. The project furthers the ERC?s strategic plan through the applicationof translational research for commercialization, with appropriate licensing of CenSSIS? IPto HXI. Additionally, the NRI/DBT system has the potential to expand HXI?s portfolio of marketablemicrowave and RF products.The broader impacts of this project are multifaceted, including improving breast cancer detectionrates, minimizing the cost of treatment by reducing the number of false-positive screeningsand preventing patients from going through the anxiety that callback examinations create.Today, mammography allows 10-15% of cancers to go undetected and present themselves withinone year. In the United States approximately 45 million mammograms are performed annuallywith false positive rates of 8-10%. This equates to more than 4 million callback examinationsper year. With the global market growing at a CAGR of 15.4% developing better imaging systemsis a high priority, in terms of women?s health, emotional toll, and medical costs.