Innovation Anthology #580:

Download MP3 Link

When Dr Elise Fear talks about microwaves and canola oil, she’s not standing in the kitchen, but her lab.

This professor of electrical engineering at the University of Calgary is developing new technology to detect breast cancer.

It’s called Tissue Sensing Adaptive Radar, or T-SAR.

The first stage uses low level microwaves to image fatty and glandular tissue.

DR ELISE FEAR: The second system that we are developing is an imaging system that uses reflections from the breast. If there are any lesions in the breast, we’ll get reflections from those lesions. It’s essentially a table that patients lie on. There’s a hole in the top of the table and one breast extends through this hole into a tank. And the tank has our sensors. So we have sensors for the microwave,. We have a laser. We have a camera so we can make sure that sensors are in the right location. And essentially the sensors are scanned around the breast collecting all of those reflections.

The tank is filled with canola oil. Dr. Elise Fear says with refinements, this new system for the early detection of breast cancer could be in clinics in about five years.

Thanks today to Alberta Innovates Health Solutions.

FOR INNOVATION ANTHOLOGY
I’M CHERYL CROUCHER

Guest

,

, , , ,

Sponsor

Alberta Innovates Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates (formerly Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions)

As the newly formed Alberta Innovates corporation, we still fund top quality, internationally competitive health research and innovation activities to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans. We provide leadership for Alberta’s health research and innovation enterprise by directing, coordinating, reviewing, funding and supporting research and innovation.

Working with our many partners  in the health system, we ensure that research achieves innovation in care, policy and practice, and that the needs of patients and clinicians influence research.

Our background

Alberta Innovates consolidation was launched November 1, 2016.

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions

Alberta Innovates – Health Solutions was established as part of the Alberta Innovates system by an Act of Legislation of the Government of Alberta. It is a agency  of the Government of Alberta. We receive a yearly allocation from the Ministry of Health and report through the ministry to the people of Alberta.

Our Mandate and Roles document reflects our role and responsibilities and outlines the government statues and regulations with which we comply.

Alberta’s Health Research and Innovation Strategy (AHRIS) sets out Alberta’s health research agenda for the coming decade to ensure our considerable investments in research align with our priority—to improve the health of Albertans.

 

 

Program Date: 2013-11-05