Designed for the detection, diagnosis and characterization of breast cancer, the SoftScan optical imaging device from Advanced Research Technologies provides functional or physiological information about a lesion, such as tissue perfusion and blood oxygen content, which the company says allows characterization of a lesion as benign or malignant.
Use of the device does not involve painful compression of the breast or ionizing radiation. It can image women with dense breast tissue or who have undergone hormonal therapy, and reportedly reduces the need for painful biopsies.
The SoftScan system includes a patient table, scanning accessories, an optical acquisition unit, and a processing and display workstation installed on a separate mobile unit. The system can be installed in any clinical setting similar in size to a stereotactic biopsy suite.
November 2007