Watch as Dr. Pixie McKenna, of Embarrassing Bodies, takes NoTouch BreastScan exam and discusses the results with the doctor.
The following steps walk you through a routine NoTouch BreastScan procedure:
- You will be asked to sit in a chair, after privately disrobing from the waist up. Sitting with your hands on your hips or behind your head, the operator will let you know when the exam will begin. A typical exam takes 4-6 minutes.
- You will feel a gentle cool breeze on your chest area while the system takes multiple infrared pictures of your breasts. The cool air helps to quickly bring the breast surface to a state of thermal equilibrium. It also helps to remove transient heat artifacts and allows the software to make thermal symmetry analysis between the breasts.
- Once the infrared data is recorded and the cooling stops, the operator will inform you of the exam's conclusion and guide you back to a private changing room.
Watch the video below for a virtual animation of the NoTouch BreastScan exam.
NoTouch BreastScan Technology
State of the art infrared imaging
The human body naturally radiates 'body heat' at specific wavelengths. While not visible to the naked eye, these heat patterns are visible to an infrared (IR) camera. This is the same technology that is used in night vision goggles that assist in seeing in complete darkness. With advancements in this area of science, many sophisticated applications such as heat seeking missiles, weather forecasting, and deep space exploration are made possible.
NoTouch BreastScan applies the cutting-edge science of digital infrared imaging towards medical imaging applications such as breast cancer detection. It incorporates a novel, dual-infrared camera design (one for each breast) that allows simultaneous comparison of the breasts before and after cooling and accurately analyzes variations in vascularity and metabolic activities.
FDA cleared software analytics
NoTouch BreastScan employs innovative software (cleared by the FDA as part of the review process) that analyzes every temperature pixel of every infrared data frame within seconds from both infrared cameras. This accurate level of speedy analysis has not been achieved before.
The technology enables doctors and expert thermography clinicians alike to make accurate yet quick analysis. It also reduces concerns of inconsistency or potentially missing an area of interest due to manual and time consuming review. Moreover, the 'pixel level' accuracy also allows for the tracking of minute changes in infrared heat patterns over any period of time, without making manual errors in analysis or without having in-depth experience with IR imaging.
NoTouch BreastScan now makes it possible to prepare a full report within a few minutes following the exam.
News Articles
An excerpt from HEAL India, January 2010 | Read Full Article
"…This technology has the power to observe the onset of breast cancer without waiting for anatomical features to such as tumors of lumps. This allows for the physicians to effectively monitor specific areas aggressively from very early stages. This technique can be very helpful for high-risk women or women with dense breasts for whom doctors would like to limit the mammographic radiation exposure and yet find breast cancers early…"
An excerpt from UK Daily Mail, May 2010 | Read Full Article
"…Some studies have found that when mammograms are used in younger women, they pick up only 50 per cent of tumors. However, this latest research, based on scans of more than 100 women, shows that the combination of a mammogram and digital scanning can push up the rate dramatically. Together, they can spot nearly 90 per cent of cancers in women under the age of 50…"
Testimonials
"NoTouch BreastScan does not discriminate towards dense breast tissue, which is good news for tens of millions of women in America."
- Azad Anand, MD (Radiologist and Director; Long Island Diagnostic Imaging in New York, USA)
"It looks at breast cancer from a physiologic vantage point, not visible to anatomic imaging modalities like mammography and ultrasound. So, when we combine the information from both sides, we can assess the full picture."
- John Gomes, MD (A leading Gynecologist in New York, USA)
"Women who are at high risk of breast cancer have become very aware of the need for more screening beyond their annual mammogram and the NoTouch BreastScan has added an excellent secondary test for them."
- Dr. Robin Phillips, MD (A leading Gynecologist in New York City, USA)
"Breast cancer is rising rapidly among urban women and is now the most common cancer in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi. Unfortunately, most cancers are diagnosed when the disease has advanced, leading to low chances of cure. Although mammography has been available for years, it is still not utilized widely. There are many reasons for it; lack of awareness, pain and discomfort during the procedure and a concern about repeated exposure to radiation."
- Dr. Shekhar Kulkarni, MD (Consultant Breast Cancer Surgeon, Pune, India)
"NoTouch BreastScan is a painless option for women who wish to get themselves regularly screened. It is of particular use for younger women who have dense breasts and mammography is inconclusive. If a woman shows changes on the NTBS, then she is sent for further investigation which includes mammography, sonography, and so on."
- Dr. Rakesh Sinha, MD (Consultant Gynecologist Surgeon, BEAMS Hospital, Mumbai, India)
"This particular technology is trying to detect changes at a very early stage before a lump becomes apparent."
- Dr. Gordon Wishart, MD (Breast Surgeon at Addenbrooke Hospital, Cambridge, UK, on a medical TV show, Embarrassing Bodies, 2011)
