Portable Breast Scanner May Ease Cancer Tests

New device doesn't use X-rays
By Aaron Cowan,  Newser User
Posted Oct 27, 2010 2:58 PM CDT Posted Oct 27, 2010 2:58 PM CDT
Promoted on Newser Oct 27, 2010 4:36 PM CDT
Portable Mammograms Without X-rays in Real Time
File photos of images from breast cancer screening from the Mayo Clinic.   (AP Photo/Mayo Clinic)

A new portable medical scanner, attached to a laptop, can instantly and painlessly capture images to help clinicians diagnose breast cancer in patients. The new system, developed by a University of Manchester professor, uses radio waves instead of X-rays, eliminating the danger of exposure to radiation and making it safer to get breast exams more frequently, reports Popular Science.

Unlike traditional mammograms, which do not produce images in real time, the clinician sees images on the screen right away, at 30 frames per second, with malignant tissue showing up in red. The new system even dispenses with the traditional gel required for mammograms, allowing many substances such as oil or water to be substituted. This should make diagnosis in remote areas cheaper and more practical. (More mammogram stories.)

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