Pain-free Mammograms use Light and Sound

May-15-14 Breast cancer screening may soon be a bit more comfortable thanks to technology developed by OptoSonics, which uses light and sound to seek out tumors in the breasts.

The technique, known as the photoacoustic effect, generates sound from light absorption to create high-resolution 3D images of the blood vessels inside the breasts. The procedure is quick, painless and radiation-free, and involves the patient lying down on a padded table with the breast placed through an opening and into a clear cup partially filled with water. A near-infrared source at the bottom of the cup exposes the tissue to a laser beam turned to a wavelength easily absorbed by the blood's hemoglobin, which expands the tissue and creates a sonic wave. The sonic wave goes on to travel through the tissue and surrounding water to a detector array, and then on to a computer for analysis.

More Info about this Invention:

[IEEE.ORG]
[OPTOSONICS]

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