Refinements made to near-infrared spectroscopy during clinical MRI
Dartmouth engineers and radiologists are developing new approaches for an emerging technique in diagnostic imaging for breast cancer-MRI with near-infrared spectroscopy(NIRS)as reported in the journal Academic Radiology,February 2014.
Combined MRI/NIRS may benefit women whose mammogram showed an abnormality and requires further testing to rule out cancer.The test would be conducted before an invasive biopsy to look for tumors.For the new method to work successfully in routine patient care,MRI/NIRS must adapt to an individual's body size as well as accommodate a range of cup sizes.The equipment must also mobilize and maintain contact with the breast.
An MRI/NIRS may offer specific advantages to women with dense breasts,who are more likely to develop and die from breast cancer.A dense breast is harder for a radiologist to"see through"when using traditional imaging equipment,which lacks the sensitivity to penetrate the dense tissue.Standard breast screening is effective 77-97 percent of the time in a normal breast,but when a breast is dense precision falls to 63-89 percent.
Prior approaches for MRI/NIRS used parallel plates and relied on custom breast molds for each patient.Biomedical engineers from the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth developed a new,more flexible,convenient,and comfortable approach.They designed a set of eight light transmitting cables that can be adjusted to surround the breast with light tension.A woman lies on her stomach and the breast hangs pendant through the holes of the MRI/NIRS breast coil.The procedure is nearly identical to clinical MRI.
