SBIR-STTR Award

Low Cost MRI Mammography for Diagnosis Breast Cancer.
Award last edited on: 6/2/09

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NCI
Total Award Amount
$799,939
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
Sou-Tien (Bert) Wang

Company Information

Wang NMR Inc (AKA: Magnetic System Technology)

550 North Canyons Parkway
Livermore, CA 94551
   (925) 443-0212
   bertwangnmr@gmail.com
   www.wangnmr.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 15
County: Alameda

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43CA061514-01
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase I year
1993
Phase I Amount
$49,950
Breast cancer mortality will be drastically reduced if tumors are diagnosed and removed as early as possible before the onset of metastasis. On the basis of data from the groups working with contract-enhanced MRM, it can be expected that MRM will in the next century replace conventional mammography as the chosen procedure for breast imaging. Since the current MRM is more expensive than conventional mammography, its increased application will accelerate if a special inexpensive MRM devices appear on the market. A low cost, open air, self-shielded superconducting MRM has been designed and proposed. The MRM will enable the patient to be examined in the open air with surface coils very accessible for breast biopsy. The patient can be maneuvered around, so the magnet only needs to produce a smaller volume of high resolution magnetic field. Therefore, the overall physical size and the cost of the MRM will be significantly reduced. Since the MRM is self-shielded, the cost of any facility construction, remodeling or shielding will be eliminated. We will ( I ) design "C" shaped split gap I .0 T self shielded superconducting MRM and (2) design a table top 0.5 T or vertical superconducting wall permanent magnets composed of high temperature superconductors. These designs will have sufficient details to allow the selection of construction of a low cost MRM m Phase II.Awardee's statement of the potential commercial applications of the research: The two superconducting MRM are unique in design because they will not only provide low cost MRM for earlier breast cancer detection, but they will also become the future low cost, friendly clinical MRI facility for Orthopedics, Cardiovascular clinical applications as well as the clinical applications involving emergency operations and blood transfusions.National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Phase II

Contract Number: 2R44CA061514-02
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
1995
(last award dollars: 1996)
Phase II Amount
$749,989

Design of a low cost open-air 1.0 T self-shielded MRM magnet has been successfully accomplished as a result of phase I effort. The magnet will have 360 degree 50 cm accessible gap for doctor and patient. It is designed for the employment of a MR-guided needle biopsy system to improve specificity of MR breast imaging and to detect small breast cancers. The 1.0 T high quality MRM magnet is also equipped with a cryocooler to minimize annual cryogen cost (to no more than $2500 per year). In addition, we have initiated a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) to collaborate on design of RF coils, actively shielded gradient coils and on hardware and software design for MR-guided in-situ biopsy for specificity improvement in breast cancer imaging. During the phase II, we propose to construct and test the 1.0 T MRM magnet, to fabricate gradient coils and RF coils, to purchase RF spectrometer electronics and to integrate the MRM system with our stereotactic biopsy device. We plan to perform phantom testing for the MRM system to determine its performance and its stereotactic accuracy. Finally, we plan to test MRM system performance of breast imaging sequences in five normal volunteers.National Cancer Institute (NCI)