Turkish Scientist Develops Wearable Ultrasound Device for Early Detection of Breast Cancer

A research team led by Turkish scientist Assoc. Prof. Canan Dağdeviren has developed a wearable device—a bra embedded with an ultrasound scanner—that enables early detection of breast cancer.

Dağdeviren stated that they had been working on the device for six years, and it could perform a full breast ultrasound within seconds, without the need for a technician or operator.

When detected early, the survival rate for breast cancer is seen as nearly 100%. However, if tumors are detected in later stages, this rate can drop to as low as 25%.

Based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Dağdeviren and her team developed this device to help increase average survival rates from breast cancer. Women who are at risk and undergo regular mammograms can now be continuously monitored between these scans using this wearable ultrasound device.

The device, which looks like a flexible piece of fabric, allows breast tissue to be examined from different angles. Its image resolution is reportedly as high as that of large hospital machines.

This wearable device also provides real-time data, and scientists Wenya Du, Lin Zhang, Emma Suh, and Dabin Lin also contributed to its development alongside Dağdeviren.

Inspired by a Personal Loss

According to a paper published in Science Advances, the inspiration for this research came from Dağdeviren’s aunt, Fatma Çalışkanoğlu, who passed away from breast cancer. Diagnosed late at the age of 49, despite undergoing regular checkups, she died six months before the device was completed. Dağdeviren began sketching the first concepts of the device at her aunt’s bedside.

The type of cancer that develops between regular screenings is called “interval cancer,” which accounts for 20–30% of all breast cancers.

Dağdeviren said, “My goal is to help people who are at the highest risk of developing interval cancer survive. We aim to increase survival rates to as high as 98% with this device.”

How It Was Made and How It Works

The miniaturization of the ultrasound scanner was made possible by a material called novel piezoelectric, which the researchers were able to design into a flexible patch using 3D printing technology. This made the device wearable.

The patch-like device can be magnetically attached to different areas of a specially designed bra with holes, which allow direct skin contact. The device can be positioned in six different places to scan the entire breast. Importantly, no medical expertise is required to use it.