IMAGING NETWORK FOR BREAST CANCER MASS SCREENING

描述(由申请人提供)：我们提出了一个基于互联网的动态 用于检测和监控结构特性变化的成像系统 表明乳腺癌发展的乳房组织。方法 是基于使用专有的机械成像技术 在小型手持式家用自检成像设备上实现。这个 该设备能够将组织的弹性属性转换为数字地图 乳房，客观地检测可疑病变的存在，如果 有必要，为女性提供一个警告信号“去看你的医生”。数据 定期收集，例如每周一次，将通过互联网发送到 中央数据库，以形成一个四维(3-D加时间)图像，将 由一台计算机和一名医生分析。这项工程将为 为诊断医学成像的新方法奠定基础，方法是添加 将时间分量添加到图像，方法是使用 来自链接到数据库的单个家用设备的数据。应用程序 用机器学习算法来发展“个体规范”的概念 针对特定女性利用图像的动态特征进行图像挖掘 将极大地提高灵敏度和诊断效率 用于全人群筛查的影像检查。 建议的商业应用： 通过互联网连接的手持式家用机械成像自检装置 中央数据库将作为大规模筛查工具，用于初步检测 乳腺癌。这项技术的便利性、有效性和可负担性将提供 为产品开发新市场的基础应该是必要的 市场潜力超过10亿的30岁以上女性 仅在美国每年就有1美元。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose an internet-based dynamic imaging system for detecting and monitoring changes in structural properties of breast tissue that are indicative of breast cancer development. The method is based on the use of the proprietary Mechanical Imaging technology implemented in a small hand-held home-use self-palpation imaging device. The device is able to translate tissue's elastic properties into a digital map of the breast, to objectively detect the presence of suspicious lesions and, if necessary, to provide a woman with a warning signal "see your doctor". Data collected on a regular basis, e.g. once a week, will be sent via Internet to a central database to form a four-dimensional (3-D plus time) image that will be analyzed by a computer and a physician. This project will lay a the foundation for a new approach to diagnostic medical imaging by adding the temporal component to an image, by monitoring image changes over time using data from an individual home-use device linked to a database. The application of machine-learning algorithms for developing a notion of "individual norm" for a particular woman using dynamic features of image and the image mining will dramatically improve the sensitivity and diagnostic efficacy of the imaging for a population wide screening. PROPOSED COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The hand-held home-use Mechanical Imaging self-palpation device connected via Internet to a central database will serve as a mass-screening tool for the primary detection of breast cancer. The convenience, efficacy and affordability of this technology will provide the foundation for the development of new markets for a product that should be a necessary item for every woman over 30 year of age with the market potential in excess of 1 billion dollar per year in the US alone.