Flash Ultrasound™The widespread use of current high resolution screening methods is inhibited by high equipment cost and the advanced technician skill needed for image development and interpretation. At the same time, readily available screening such as mammography x-rays and conventional ultrasound are limited in terms of adequate resolution. Using Flash Ultrasound™, InnerVision seeks to develop a new standard in screening technology for breast cancer, prostate cancer and other diseases by making high resolution screening affordable and easy.
Instant Data CaptureSpeed of capture and caliber of resolution are two defining variables in diagnostic screening. InnerVision's Flash Ultrasound™ collects a 3D volume of tissue data in one pulse of its array, in one-twentieth of a second. A complete breast scan may be captured in one pulse, like the click of a camera. Ultra High Resolution ImagingOf imaging technologies widely used today for early detection of breast cancer, ultrasound offers the highest resolution - greater than x-ray mammography, and Flash Ultrasound™ is expected to be a significant step forward in acoustic imaging in comparison to traditional ultrasound. Depicted below is a comparison of images captured by InnerVision's Flash Ultrasound™ and a widely used commercial ultrasound machine. The image taken is of 100-micron filaments embedded in a target with spacing ranging from 500 to 100 microns. ![]() Flash Ultrasound™ Image
- 3.5 megahertz array
- Resolution to less than 100 microns
![]() Ultrasound Image
- 12.5 megahertz array
- Unable to resolve the targets
The image comparison demonstrates that using a 3.5 megahertz transducer array, Flash Ultrasound™ detects the presence of 100-micron filaments and displays resolution to less than 100-microns. Conventional ultrasound cannot achieve this resolution without a significant increase in frequency and a corresponding loss of depth in the area being scanned. For cancer and other disease screening, prevention of disease can be facilitated with the early detection of micro calcifications of calcium in tissue. Clusters of micro calcifications occur before development of a tumor or artery blockage in the case of coronary disease. InnerVision's Flash Ultrasound™ has successfully detected micro calcifications at smaller than 0.5 mm in tissue-equivalent FDA certified phantoms. ![]() InnerVision 2D volumetric image of breast phantom
Image AnalysisFlash Ultrasound™ does more than provide ultra high resolution images; the data capture and analysis also enables medical practitioners to know the precise physical dimensions and location coordinates of the object under investigation. This type of functional analysis is not currently available with other acoustic based imaging tools. Super ProcessingInnerVision's super processing is intended to enable high speed, centralized processing and creation of diagnostic images. The supercomputing platform is intended to allow radiologists and clinicians to review diagnostic images within minutes. Each of InnerVision's centralized image processing systems is expected to be capable of handling a large number of data acquisition/capture systems. These processing systems will be strategically placed geographically to optimize the image rendering process and minimize turnaround time. Users will pay a per-image fee and significant economic efficiencies will exist by having a multitude of users sharing processing capacity. Data Exchange via InternetInnerVision's technology is intended to allow for the data of a 3D diagnostic scan to be transmitted over the Internet. This means that health practitioners could gather patient image information at remote locations via relatively inexpensive remote acquisition systems and send it to one of InnerVision's image processing centers. Radiologists and medical practitioners would have access to immediate high resolution images and functional data without having to finance the alternative high cost technologies. Internet based data and image transmission can facilitate full globalization of InnerVision's business model. |