A revolutionary wearable ultrasound patch, designed to be attached to a bra, has been developed to aid in the early detection of breast cancer in high-risk women. This innovative device can detect tumors that may be missed during mammograms and can be used in the comfort of home in just a few minutes.
While most women do not require additional scans between mammograms due to the risk of unnecessary treatment for slow-growing tumors, women at high risk of aggressive breast cancer could benefit greatly from extra ultrasound scans. These scans are much safer as they do not involve radiation and are non-invasive.
The wearable patch is honeycomb-shaped and can be easily attached to a sports bra using magnets. It comes with six precisely located holes that expose important areas of the breast. A handheld ultrasound device, also equipped with magnets, can be snapped into place over each hole. The device can be rotated 30 degrees at a time, making it user-friendly and providing six readings that can penetrate up to 80mm into the breast tissue.
In a trial involving a 71-year-old woman with a history of breast abnormalities, the prototype patch successfully detected cysts as small as 0.3 centimeters in diameter, equivalent to the size of an early-stage tumor. The inspiration for this technology came from Dr. Canan Dagdeviren, the senior author of the study, whose aunt was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer despite regular mammograms. She sketched the idea for this patch during her aunt’s final days, and now it has become a reality.
The patch, currently connected to a cable and circuit board in a medical setting, is a first step towards a wireless version that can be easily tested on more women. The handheld ultrasound device channels an electric current converted into soundwaves by special crystals, which penetrate inside the breast tissue. Cysts or tumors are then detected in the ultrasound images.
Further development is underway to create a miniaturized screen, similar to a smartphone, for viewing scan results. The cost of the device is currently around $1,000, but each scan only costs approximately $3. The researchers hope that women will be able to use this device monthly as an additional screening measure between mammograms for added reassurance.
The study, published in the journal Science Advances, showed promising results when the prototype was tested on one patient, performing equally well as a conventional handheld hospital ultrasound device. More data on tests involving more women will be published in the near future.
Dr. Dagdeviren envisions a future where women can conveniently scan their breasts while going about their daily routine, providing a more reliable, comfortable, and less intimidating method for early breast cancer detection. Catherine Ricciardi, a co-author of the study, emphasized the potential of this technology to break down barriers and improve the early diagnosis of breast cancer, reducing negative outcomes associated with delayed diagnosis.
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