Project description
Innovative breast cancer detection based on optic and quantum technologies
Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, and breast cancer is among the most common types. The EU-funded CANCER SCAN project is developing an innovative breast cancer detection method based on optic and quantum technologies, aiming to improve diagnosis with minimal radiation exposure. The innovative concept involves the non-invasive utilisation of light and the unified transmission and detection of photons in multi-dimensional space, resulting in the scanner's capability to detect tumours simultaneously in all parts of the body with minimal radiation risk. This pilot project focusses on the early detection of breast cancer as the development of an improved and reliable diagnostic method is of paramount importance, given the prevalence of the disease.
Objective
We propose to develop a radically new unified technological concept of biomedical detection utilizing front line new ideas in quantum optics and quantum mechanics. The new concept will be based on unified transmission and detection of photons in a three dimensional space of orbital angular momentum, entanglement and hyper-spectral characteristics (OES). These will enable a revolutionary scanner capable of detecting cancer not only in a specified organ but in various parts of the body at once, even from remote locations, and with no radiation risk whatsoever. Our pilot project will be focused on the early detection of breast cancer. Mammography, as the state of the art method for breast cancer screening, is limited in its sensitivity especially in younger women and/or women with dense breasts, and has been found to be problematic in women with genetic mutations. Thus the development of an improved and more reliable detection method is of paramount importance. A novel detection algorithm will be developed based on clinical trials in breast cancer patients, using the unified transmission and detection theory. We chose to verify our concept in the area of breast cancer due to its prevalence and the condition that feeds our concept (large amount of tissue without bone). In the long term this approach can be adapted to other areas of bio-medical diagnostics leading to total mass screening. The concept is based on non invasive utilization of light and its ramifications are numerous.
In the proposed project, the endeavor will be both theoretical and experimental including derivation of a mathematical
model and development of an experimental bio-compatible test-bed for cancer detection with minimal false positives.
Our joint knowledge places the project at the cutting edge of science and technology developing a novel technology with the
long-term vision of integrating quantum science in medical applications.
Fields of science
- medical and health sciencesclinical medicineoncologybreast cancer
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsmutation
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesquantum physicsquantum optics
- natural sciencesphysical sciencestheoretical physicsparticle physicsphotons
- natural sciencesmathematicsapplied mathematicsmathematical model
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
84105 Beer Sheva
Israel