Development of non-invasive diagnostic medical technologies

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Non-invasive technologies for the diagnosis of disease are playing an increasingly important role in the medical field. In the past several years, early detection of breast cancer based on the electromagnetic properties of breast tissues has become of increasing interest. The properties of normal tissues and cancers are expected to differ; differences in the properties of malignant and benign tissues may be used to differentiate cancers from non-cancerous lesions. One approach to breast cancer detection using electromagnetic properties, Tissue Sensing Adaptive Radar (TSAR), is under development at the University of Calgary. This microwave technology is based on an ultra-wideband (UWB) radar system. Essentially, short pulses of microwaves are transmitted into the breast and reflections are collected. Increased reflections are expected from tumours, due to the differences in electromagnetic properties of tumours and healthy tissues. After reduction of unwanted signals, the reflections are focused in order to locate tumours in three dimensions. The TSAR approach is patient-friendly, as it does not involve breast compression or ionizing radiation.