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MIT Team Reports Portable 3D Breast Ultrasound System for Earlier Detection

A single-subject test showed gap-free 3D imaging, prompting a broader trial at MIT and MGH.

Overview

  • An ultrasound probe paired with a processing board slightly larger than a smartphone reconstructs wide-angle 3D breast images in real time from two or three placements at depths up to 15 centimeters.
  • The system accurately imaged cysts in a 71-year-old participant and produced undistorted, gap-free 3D views because the probe rests gently on the skin rather than compressing tissue.
  • The motherboard costs about $300 to build using commercially available components, runs on a 5V supply, and connects to a laptop for on-the-go visualization.
  • Researchers have begun a larger clinical trial at the MIT Center for Clinical and Translational Research and at Massachusetts General Hospital to evaluate performance more broadly.
  • The work targets earlier detection of interval cancers and the team plans a fingernail-sized module with smartphone display, an AI-guided placement app, and commercialization led by Canan Dagdeviren.