Thermal Imaging Mount for Consistent Breast Cancer Screening
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current breast cancer screening methods, such as mammography, are invasive, expose patients to radiation, and are not recommended for younger women, while self-breast exams lead to false positives due to complexity and lack of consistency in thermography systems for at-home use.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a mount with discreet positions for an imaging device carrier, allowing consistent thermal imaging of the breasts, combined with a mobile app for analyzing thermal images and monitoring changes over time, enabling self-screening and reducing false positives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mammography is used for breast cancer screening, then detection accuracy is improved, but radiation exposure and invasiveness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical/x-ray based mammography system with a thermal imaging system that detects infrared radiation naturally emitted by the body. This substitution eliminates the need for harmful ionizing radiation while maintaining cancer detection capability through thermal pattern analysis of blood flow changes associated with tumors.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition concept in thermal detection by capturing infrared emissions that represent a different energy phase (thermal radiation) compared to traditional x-ray imaging. This allows detection of physiological changes (temperature variations due to increased blood flow in cancerous tissue) without the harmful effects of ionizing radiation.
2Ease of operation
If contact thermography is used for at-home screening, then convenience is improved, but image consistency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the imaging area into multiple discrete zones or regions of interest on the breast surface. By segmenting the detection area and using a grid-based or zone-based thermal mapping approach, the system ensures that each region is captured with consistent parameters, thereby maintaining image consistency even in at-home settings without requiring precise handheld positioning.
3Adaptability or versatility
If self-breast exams are conducted, then accessibility is improved, but false positive rate increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual self-examination with an automated thermal imaging system that objectively measures temperature distributions. This substitution eliminates subjective interpretation errors that lead to false positives in manual exams, while maintaining the accessibility benefit of at-home screening through automated analysis of thermal patterns associated with cancerous tissue.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution provides a non-invasive, cost-effective, and safe method for early breast cancer detection, reducing unnecessary screenings and empowering women to monitor their health independently, while minimizing radiation exposure and improving accuracy compared to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
Thermal imaging captures infrared emissions from the human body, mapping the surface temperature on the skin
Implementation Method 2
Cancerous breast tumors can typically change the surface temperature of the breast by one to four degrees centigrade warmer than healthy breast tissue
Data Source
AI summary
A system for imaging a portion of a body can include a mount configured to hold an imaging device carrier. The mount can include a plurality of discreet positions configured to hold the imaging device carrier, for example.