|
OBJECTIVES:
Development of Smart Probe technology that makes use of neural networks
and intelligent software with the most advanced physiologic sensors
to provide real-time breast tissue characterization for diagnosis,
prognosis and treatment of breast cancer, including determination
of tumor microenvironment and evaluation of tumor margins. The software
solutions and tools from this medical application will lead to the
development of better real-time minimally invasive Smart Probes
for 1) space biology research and 2) medical care and treatment
on long space flights.
The
smart probe device is being designed to 'see' a suspicious lump
in a breast, determine by its features if it is cancerous, and ultimately
predict how the disease may progress. Surgeons may soon be able
to insert the computerized tool's needle-like tip into breast lumps
to make instant diagnoses and long-term cancer predictions. This
device will provide real-time detailed interpretations of breast
tissue at the needle’s tip. The breast cancer smart probe may
allow health care providers to make expert, accurate diagnoses as
well as to suggest proper individualized treatment, even in remote
areas.
This
project was created in response to a NASA Memorandum of Understanding
with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Women's
Health, to transfer NASA technology for the fight against women's
diseases. We are collaborating with Dr. Stefanie S. Jeffrey, Chief
of Breast Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, to develop
our Smart Probe technology for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.
BACKGROUND
Information
Technology being developed by NASA to assist astronaut/physicians
in responding to emergencies during long space flights will be employed
for the improvement of women’s health in the form of “smart”
medical tools. This technology, initially developed for neurosurgery
applications, has enormous potential for the diagnoses and treatment
of breast cancer.
A
joint research project between NASA Ames and Stanford University
will develop a Smart Probe to identify physiologic differences between
benign and malignant breast tissue.
Risk
of breast cancer is a significant women’s health issue:
@
age 25 - 1 in 20,000
@ age 50 - 1 in 51
@ age 85 - 1 in 9
We
hope to use this device not only to detect cancer, but also to understand
the nature of an individual cancer. Information about the tissue’s
microenvironment may help us determine the distinctive features
of a malignancy and how the disease may progress; more knowledge
about the cancer may guide us to better individualizing treatment.
To enable the device to recognize cancer and predict its progress,
we use hybrid soft computing software that is trained and learns
from experience. An ultrasound sensor is used to guide the probe’s
insertion into a breast lump. The technologies employed in this
application can potentially be used to diagnose and treat cancers
found in other parts of the body, such as the prostate and colon.
|
