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，乳腺癌的早期、准确检测一直是医疗的重中之重。最近，由麻省总医院（MGH）研究合作伙伴开发的数字乳腺断层合成（DBT）的临床成功表明，与传统乳房x光检查相比，误报率降低了。然而，尽管DBT？在增强的检测能力下，癌组织和常见纤维腺组织之间1%的放射对比限制了病变组织的明确特征。另外，由于肿瘤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，乳腺组织通常具有高度异质性，其中纤维腺组织随机地散布在脂肪背景中，导致微波图像无组织，从而降低图像重建的质量。和我们在东北大学的研究伙伴合作？根据戈登地下传感和成像系统中心（Gordon- censsis） ERC， HXI提出将dbtx射线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的基础上，以显着提高癌组织检出率。拟议的活动将有助于科学界/医学界提高对微波NRI方法在检测乳腺癌方面有效性的认识和理解。我们的方法是基于使用高分辨率的基于x射线的DBT成像来获得异质性乳腺组织的空间组织，并将其作为NRI的先验信息进行三维重建。这一全新的革命性概念以前从未被研究过，它有可能克服单模态乳腺癌成像技术的局限性。该项目汇集了多个学科的专业知识：1)HXI，世界雷达设计专家，将建造NRI传感器和天线阵列；2) CenSSIS将提供其平台技术算法，对生物组织进行传感、成像和特征提取，并进行模拟实验；3)由总医院的顾问提供医疗专业知识。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。该项目进一步推动了ERC？通过将转化研究应用于商业化的战略计划，并获得适当的CenSSIS许可？IPto HXI。此外，NRI/DBT系统有潜力扩大HXI？我们的微波和射频产品组合。该项目的广泛影响是多方面的，包括提高乳腺癌的检出率，通过减少假阳性筛查的数量来最大限度地降低治疗成本，并防止患者经历回调检查带来的焦虑。今天，乳房x光检查允许10-15%的癌症未被发现，并在一年内出现。在美国，每年约有4500万例乳房x光检查，假阳性率为8-10%。这相当于每年有400多万次回试。随着全球市场以15.4%的复合年增长率增长，就女性而言，开发更好的成像系统是重中之重。健康、情绪和医疗费用。

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.