Portable Ultrasound Sensor to Enable Earlier Breast Cancer Detection

Breast cancer screening relies heavily on annual mammograms, but aggressive tumors can develop between scans, accounting for up to 30 percent of cases. These interval cancers are often diagnosed later, when survival rates drop sharply. While frequent ultrasound screening could help detect tumors earlier—especially in high-risk individuals—current ultrasound systems are large, expensive, and require skilled operators. Researchers have now developed a compact ultrasound system designed to make frequent breast imaging more accessible in clinical and non-clinical settings.

The miniaturized ultrasound platform, developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA), consists of a small probe paired with a portable acquisition and processing module slightly larger than a smartphone. The design aims to decentralize ultrasound imaging, making it suitable for use in doctors’ offices, rural settings, and potentially even at home.

The probe contains an ultrasound transducer array arranged in an open square configuration, allowing it to capture wide-angle 3D images of breast tissue from just two or three positions. Data from the probe is processed by a low-cost motherboard made entirely from commercially available components and powered by a simple 5V supply. When connected to a laptop, the system reconstructs and displays real-time 3D images while consuming far less power than traditional ultrasound machines.

The researchers tested the system on a human subject with a history of breast cysts and successfully generated continuous 3D images without gaps or distortion. The device imaged tissue up to 15 centimeters deep and accurately visualized cysts without compressing the breast, preserving their natural shape and position. These findings, published in Advanced Healthcare Materials, demonstrate that the portable system can achieve clinical-grade imaging comparable to conventional hospital-based ultrasound.

By removing the need for bulky equipment and specialized technicians, the technology could enable more frequent ultrasound monitoring for people at high risk of breast cancer. Earlier detection dramatically improves survival, with nearly 100 percent survival at early stages compared with about 25 percent at later stages. The team is now conducting larger clinical trials and developing a next-generation version small enough to interface directly with a smartphone, potentially incorporating AI to guide probe placement.

“Traditional 3D ultrasound systems require power expensive and bulky electronics, which limits their use to high-end hospitals and clinics,” said MIT Provost Anantha Chandrakasan, one of the paper’s authors. “By redesigning the system to be ultra-sparse and energy-efficient, this powerful diagnostic tool can be moved out of the imaging suite and into a wearable form factor that is accessible for patients everywhere.”

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