SBIR Phase I: NARROW-BEAM DEDICATED BREAST COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

SBIR第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是改善致密乳腺妇女的癌症检测和诊断，这是每年筛查的4000万妇女中的一个重要部分。乳腺致密的女性癌症检出率低和疾病过度诊断的风险更大。这种风险是由于目前可供他们使用的X射线成像技术的局限性造成的：乳房X线摄影、断层合成和乳腺CT。所提出的技术利用了CT成像科学的优势-优于乳腺X射线摄影和断层合成-同时结合了CT图像采集的创新。该技术将提供高质量的乳房三维图像，在与现有乳腺癌筛查标准相当的辐射水平下提供高可见度的微钙化（癌症的微小痕迹）。 这项技术有可能减少误诊的经济负担，而不会给患者带来新的风险。拟议的项目启动了一种新形式的断层乳腺成像的发展，建立在无散射X射线图像的发现，提高了小微钙化的可见性。所提出的设计克服了乳腺X射线摄影和断层合成摄影的局限性-主要是健康组织对癌症的掩盖-以及现有乳腺CT的局限性，包括微钙化可见性差、后部乳腺解剖结构覆盖范围有限以及筛查剂量水平下图像质量不足。所提出的CT设计最大限度地减少了对患者的剂量暴露，并提供了接近无散射的采集原始数据。这些改进导致具有更大微钙化可见性的更高质量图像。SBIR第1阶段项目的总体目标是建立一个原型，以改进研究和模拟。在原型开发的第一阶段，将实施准直器和屏蔽装置来控制散射和剂量。在第二阶段，该设备将被纳入现有的功能性乳房CT扫描仪。性能目标包括减少辐射剂量的平均大小的乳房高达30%，比现有的方法，实现近无散射的图像采集，并提高了可见性的小microcalcications.This奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

This broader impact/commercial potential of this SBIR Phase I project is to improve detection and diagnosis of cancer in women with dense breasts, a significant fraction of the 40 million women screened annually. Women with dense breasts are at greater risk for low cancer detection and overdiagnosis of disease. This risk arises from limitations in the x-ray imaging techniques currently available to them: mammography, tomosynthesis and breast CT. The proposed technology utilizes the benefits of CT imaging science - advantageous over mammography and tomosynthesis - while incorporating innovations in CT image acquisition. The technology will deliver high quality three-dimensional images of the breast providing high visibility of microcalcifications (small traces of cancer) at radiation levels on par with existing breast cancer screening standards. This technology has the potential to reduce the financial burdens of misdiagnosis without introducing new risks to the patient. The proposed project initiates development of a new form of tomographic breast imaging, built upon the discovery that scatter-free x-ray images result in improved visibility of small microcalcifications. The proposed design overcomes limitations of mammography and tomosynthesis - primarily the masking of cancer by healthy tissue - and limitations of existing breast CT that include poor microcalcification visibility, limited posterior breast anatomy coverage, and inadequate image quality at screening dose levels. The proposed CT design minimizes dose exposure to the patient and delivers acquired raw data that are near scatter-free. These improvements result in higher quality images with greater microcalcification visibility. The overarching objective of this SBIR Phase 1 project is to build a prototype for improved study and simulation. In the first stage of prototype development, a collimator and shielding apparatus will be implemented to control scatter and dose. In the second stage, this apparatus will be incorporated into an existing, functional breast CT scanner. Performance objectives include a reduction in radiation dose to an average-sized breast by as much as 30% over existing methods, achievement of near scatter-free image acquisition, and improved visibility of small microcalcifications.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.