Abstract
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. Although targeted screening programs using mammography have facilitated earlier detection and improved treatment has resulted in a significant reduction in mortality, some negative aspects related to cost, the availability of trained staff, the duration of the procedure, and its non-generalizability to all women must be taken into consideration. Breast palpation is a simple non-invasive procedure that can be performed by lay individuals for detecting possible malignant nodules in the breast. It is a simple test, based on the haptic perception of different stiffness between healthy and abnormal tissues. According to a survey we carried out, despite being safe and simple, breast self-examination is not carried by women because they are not confident of their ability to detect a lump. In this study, a non-invasive wearable device designed to mimic the process of breast self-examination using pressure sensing textiles and thus increase the confidence and self-awareness of women is proposed. Combined with other screening methods, the device can increase the odds of early detection for better prognosis. Here, we present the physical implementation of the device and a finite element analysis of the mechanics underlying its working principle. Characterization of the device using models of large and medium breast phantoms with rigid inclusions demonstrates that it can detect nodules in much the same way as does the human hand during breast self-examination.
Highlights
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide
A finite element (FE) analysis of a breast model was performed to investigate its response to a compression load, in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the idea and determine the technical specifications to design the prototype of Palpreast, e.g., the spatial resolution of the pressure sensing textile necessary to identify the presence of a nodule
A typical response is illustrated in Figure 13, showing the digital output of all taxels resulting from the application of different pressures on taxel R0,C0
Summary
Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. With more than 1 million cases in 2012 [1], it is one of the most common causes of cancer-related death in women [2]. Several products are available in the market in support of early detection They are generally used for clinical breast examination (CBE) by physicians to perform their work and are not wearable [9,10]. These devices, through tactile imaging, take advantages of the different mechanical properties of the tissues in order to detect anomalies located inside the breast. BSE, or regularly examining one’s own breasts, could be used to find early signs of breast cancer, when it is more likely to be treated successfully It is a simple non-invasive procedure that can be performed by all women, allowing them to become comfortable with their own bodies [15]. Is validated using a breast phantom with an embedded inclusion
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