Cancer Screening Technology

This image depicts an early version of a breast cancer screening device that uses a sensor invented at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA. The device, called the BioScan System^TM, was developed by OmniCorder Technologies, Inc., Stony Brook, NY. The company received clearance to market the system from the Food and Drug Administration in December 1999.

The sensor is able to detect changes in blood flow in tissue surrounding cancer. The BioScan System™ is sensitive to temperature changes of less than .015 Celsius (.027 degree Fahrenheit) and has a speed of over 200 frames per second. It causes no discomfort to the patient and uses no radiation. The sensor, called the Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP), was invented by Dr. Sarath Gunapala, principal engineer of JPL's Device and Research Applications Section. Earlier versions of QWIP have been used for such applications as locating hot spots in forest fires and observing volcanoes.