CN220572184U

CN220572184U - Sensor patch for cancer screening

Info

Publication number: CN220572184U
Application number: CN202190000981.3U
Authority: CN
Inventors: 悉达多·潘达; 比斯瓦纳特·潘达; 希瓦姆·特里维迪; 罗希特·巴尔加瓦; 尤特卡莎·K·辛格; 卡伦·马尔霍特拉; 萨查特·拉盖什
Original assignee: Murata Production Office; Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Current assignee: Murata Production Office; Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur
Priority date: 2020-12-18
Filing date: 2021-12-17
Publication date: 2024-03-12
Anticipated expiration: 2031-12-17
Also published as: WO2022130305A1

Abstract

A sensor patch (100) for breast cancer screening is described. In an example, a sensor patch (100) includes a plurality of sensing elements (104) for acquiring temperature response data from a breast of a subject. The sensor patch (100) further includes a two-dimensional (2D) flexible substrate (102) that serves as a base for the plurality of sensing elements (104), wherein the 2D flexible substrate (102) includes a plurality of scratches (106, 108) to deform the sensor patch (100) to a desired breast geometry.

Description

Sensor patch for cancer screening

Background

Breast cancer is one of the major diseases leading to female death in countries around the world. Breast cancer occurs when some cells in the breast begin to grow abnormally rapidly compared to other healthy cells, thereby producing a tumor in the breast. If not diagnosed early, abnormal growth of cells may spread from the breast to the lymph nodes, and thus the whole body.

Drawings

The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figures 1 (a), 1 (b) and 1 (c) illustrate an example sensor patch according to the present subject matter,

figure 2 illustrates a sensor patch according to another example of the present subject matter,

figure 3 illustrates a sensor patch according to yet another example of the present subject matter,

figure 4 illustrates a sensor patch according to yet another example of the present subject matter,

figure 5 illustrates a sensor patch according to yet another example of the present subject matter,

figures 6 (a) and 6 (b) illustrate sensor patches according to other examples of the present subject matter,

FIG. 7 illustrates a bra for incorporating sensor patches, according to an example of the present subject matter, and

fig. 8 illustrates a method of manufacturing a sensor patch according to another example of the present subject matter.

Detailed Description

Breast cancer is a widespread disease that may be fatal if not diagnosed early, and early diagnosis of breast cancer can greatly reduce mortality and increase survival rates. One of the conventionally used techniques for determining the presence of cancer cells in the breast includes mammography. In mammography, the breast is compressed and placed between two plates. Low energy X-rays are then passed through the breast and images are recorded on an X-ray film placed under the breast. The recorded image indicates cancer cells with a higher contrast than normal cells.

However, for subjects with higher breast densities, mammography is less sensitive at an early stage. Furthermore, there may be the following situations: the subject may be reluctant to place the breast between the plates and may not be fully cooperative in the process. This may result in recording an unclear image, thereby compromising the efficiency of diagnosis.

Other tools and techniques for determining the presence of cancerous cells in the breast include Electrical Impedance Scanning (EIS), mastoscopy, breast thermal imaging, and breast thermometry. In the above-described tools and techniques, breast thermal imaging and breast thermometry include devices aimed at detecting the presence of cancer cells in the breast based on the temperature rise of the breast. The local temperature in and around cancer cells is typically elevated compared to normal cells, which is a well-established principle in the medical field. Breast thermal imaging comprises: an IR camera is used to record an Infrared (IR) thermogram of the breast, which is then analyzed to determine the presence of cancer cells. In breast thermal imaging, since images obtained by an IR camera are captured from a distance, these images have reduced sensitivity when determining the temperature of cells at an early stage (particularly when the temperature rise is low). As a result, breast thermal imaging is ineffective in determining the presence of cancer cells at an early stage.

The problem associated with sensitivity in determining temperature is solved by breast thermometry, which involves recording the temperature by a plurality of sensing elements in direct contact with the breast. The plurality of sensing elements are accessed by a separate set of bare insulated cables for transmitting temperature response data. However, when these sensing elements are attached to the breast, a plurality of cables come into contact with the body of the subject, which results in complex wires being entangled around the breast area, thereby causing an uncomfortable situation. In such a case, the subject may not remain stationary during the screening process, which results in damage to the sensor joint and loosening of the wires, resulting in erroneous temperature response data. Further, attaching a plurality of sensing elements to the breast with cables to collect temperature response data from a plurality of subjects is a cumbersome task.

According to an example implementation of the present subject matter, a breast cancer screening sensor patch for determining the presence of cancer cells in a breast is described.

In an example, a breast cancer screening sensor patch for breast cancer screening is illustrated. For ease of reference, the breast cancer screening sensor patch will be referred to hereinafter as a "sensor patch". According to example implementations of the present subject matter, a sensor patch may be embedded with a plurality of sensing elements to obtain temperature response data from a breast of a subject to determine the presence of cancer cells in the breast.

The sensor patch may include a two-dimensional (2D) flexible substrate that serves as a base for a plurality of sensing elements. For ease of reference, the 2D flexible substrate is hereinafter referred to as a "substrate". The substrate may have a design that enables the sensor patch to be deformed into the desired breast geometry. The design may include "2" types of pattern cuts for deforming the substrate into the desired breast geometry, where the "2" types of pattern cuts may include radial cuts and spiral cuts.

A radial slit from the center of the substrate to its outer edge may enable the substrate to be deformed into a three-dimensional (3D) kirigami (paper-cut) structure by folding along the radial slit. The radial cuts may further have adjustable slit elements that may enable folding along multiple marked edges to fit commercially available bra sizes. Further, the helical cut may provide the sensor patch with the ability to deform the sensor patch corresponding to the shape of the breast.

Accordingly, the sensor patch formed with the radial and spiral cuts can efficiently adapt to the breast geometry of the subject, thereby enabling a higher degree of contact between the skin surface of the subject and the sensing element. Thus, the accuracy of the temperature response data received from the sensing element is improved, thereby improving the efficiency of indicating the possible presence of cancer cells in the breast.

The sensor patch may also include conductive wires to facilitate power transmission and collection of temperature response data from the sensing element. In an example, the conductive wire may be connected to a data acquisition system (DAQ) via a connector. In the example, the conductive wires may be embedded between successive spiral cuts by additive or subtractive methods, such as printing or etching, respectively. The thus embedded conductive wire may not cause any user discomfort, thereby helping to collect temperature response data in an accurate manner.

The above-described technique is further described with reference to fig. 1 (a) to 7. It should be noted that the description and drawings merely illustrate the principles of the present subject matter and examples described herein and are not to be construed as limiting the present subject matter. It will thus be appreciated that various arrangements may be devised which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the present subject matter. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and implementations of the subject matter, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass equivalents thereof.

Fig. 1 (a), 1 (b), and 1 (c) illustrate an example sensor patch 100 according to the present subject matter. The sensor patch 100 may be accommodated in a bra that may be worn by a subject so that the sensor patch contacts the breast of the subject. The sensor patch 100 may include a substrate 102 and a plurality of sensing elements 104-1, 104-2, …, 104-n embedded on the substrate 102. For reference, the plurality of sensing elements 104-1, 104-2, …, 104-n are hereinafter collectively referred to as sensing elements 104.

The substrate 102 may have a design that enables the sensor patch to be deformed into the desired breast geometry. In particular, the design may include "2" types of pattern cuts that may deform the substrate to the desired breast geometry. The "2" types of pattern cuts may include radial cuts 106 and spiral cuts 108. The radial scribe 106 may extend from the center of the substrate to its outer edge. The radial scribe 106 may enable the substrate to be deformed into a 3D kirigam structure by folding along the radial scribe. Further, the spiral slit 108 may enable the substrate 102 to extend vertically in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the substrate to deform the substrate 102 corresponding to the shape of the breast of the subject.

In an example, the substrate 102 may have a circular shape with a gap 102-1 in the center. The substrate 102 may have a two-dimensional geometry and may be flexible in nature. The substrate 102 may also have a thermal mass less than a threshold thermal mass, where the thermal mass may be defined as the ability of a material to store thermal energy around the sensing element 104. In an example, a threshold thermal mass of the substrate may be determined based on a tolerance of the embedded sensing element on the substrate. In such examples, the thermal mass may be no higher than a tolerance of the sensing element embedded on the substrate. A thermal mass less than the threshold thermal mass may avoid a change in temperature response data acquired by the sensing element due to the temperature of the surrounding environment. The substrate may also have a mechanical strength higher than the threshold mechanical strength to inhibit any damage due to wear and tear. Examples of the substrate 102 may include, but are not limited to, polyimide strands, polyamide fabrics (nylon and silk), cotton brassieres, and microfiber brassieres.

The number of sensing elements 104 embedded on the substrate 102 may vary as desired. In an example, the number of sensing elements may vary from 16 to 256 with the aid of a suitable data acquisition system. In the example, each sensing element embedded on substrate 102 may have a tolerance of about 0.5% to 1%, a power dissipation in the range of 50 to 150 milliwatts, and a temperature measurement range that varies from-40 ℃ to 150 ℃. Further, in the example, each sensing element may have a package size that is smaller than the threshold size. In an example, the threshold size may be a size of the sensing element that does not affect the flexibility of the sensor patch when the sensing element is embedded in the sensor patch. For example, each sensing element can have a length of about 1.5 to 1.8 millimeters (mm), a width of about 0.5 to 1.0m, and a height of about 0.5 to 1 mm. Further, to improve portability of the sensor patch, each sensing element 104 may be lightweight and weigh approximately 4.7 milligrams. Furthermore, the small packaging size of the sensing element may also contribute to user comfort so that the subject does not feel any additional protrusions in the bra.

In an example, the radial cuts 106 may have adjustable slit elements 106-1, 106-2, …, 106-n that may enable the sensor patch 100 to be folded to fit a commercially available bra size. The substrate 102 may also have overlapping regions along the tunable slit elements 106-1, 106-2, …, 106-n. Any sensing elements may not be included on the overlap area to avoid covering the sensing elements 104 when the substrate 102 is folded.

The sensing element 104 may be coupled to the data acquisition system by various conductive wires 110. In an example, conductive wires 110 made of a material that provides a low resistance path, such as copper or silver, may be used in the sensor patch 100.

In an example, the spiral scribe 108 has rounded and smooth edges. Fig. 1 (b) illustrates an exemplary design of a sensor patch 100 in which the spiral scribe has rounded and smooth edges.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), the sensor patch 100 may also include bond pads 112-1, 112-2, …, 112-n for attaching the sensing element 104 to the substrate 102. For ease of reference, the bond pads 112-1, 112-2, …, 112-n are hereinafter referred to as bond pads 112. The size of the bond pad 112 may be equal to the size of the electrode of the sensing element. The bond pads 112 may be made of conductive metal pads such as copper, and may be connected to conductive wires 110 in the sensor patch. The conductive wires 110 along with the bond pads 112 may be embedded on the sensor patch via additive or subtractive processes such as printing or etching, respectively. The sensing element 104 may be attached to the bond pad 112 via various bonding techniques such as soldering or anisotropic bonding.

Fig. 2 illustrates a sensor patch 100 according to yet another example of the present subject matter. As shown, the sensor patch 100 may include a stiffener 114 under the bond pad to avoid misalignment of the sensing element 104 relative to or removal from the bond pad. The stiffener 114 may provide mechanical strength to the area of the substrate 102 to which the sensing element 104 is attached.

Fig. 3 illustrates a sensor patch 100 according to yet another example of the present subject matter. The sensor patch 100 may include a medical grade adhesive tape 116 attached to the topside (i.e., the side facing the skin surface of the subject and above the embedded sensing element 104 on the sensor patch). The adhesive tape 116 may be placed manually or using an automated process. The adhesive tape 116 may be single-sided or double-sided. For single-sided adhesive tapes, an adhesive layer may be applied to the sensor patch during the manufacturing process. The adhesive layer may have a greater adhesive strength than the medical grade adhesive, so that the sensor patch may be easily peeled from the skin surface together with the medical grade adhesive without any discomfort. On the other hand, double-sided medical grade adhesive tapes may have different release forces on both sides thereof. The less strong side may be attached to the skin surface.

In an example, a painless barrier film solution may be applied to the skin surface to avoid any medical adhesive related skin damage (MARSI) prior to wearing the bra with the flexible sensor patch.

As shown in fig. 3, the adhesive tape 116 may be deformed into a geometry of similar dimensions as the sensor patch 100 before being placed on top of the sensor patch 100. In an example, the adhesive tape 116 may have a notch to expose the sensing element 104 directly to the skin surface. In the example, the notch may be square. The adhesive tape 116 may have a peel-off layer that may be peeled off prior to applying the sensor patch to the skin surface. The medical grade adhesive may eliminate any air gap between the skin surface and the sensing element, and thus may reduce the likelihood of detecting a false skin surface temperature.

Fig. 4 illustrates a sensor patch 100 according to yet another example of the present subject matter. As shown in fig. 4, each sensing element 104 may be encapsulated by a thermally conductive glue (not illustrated) and metal beads 118 on top of the thermally conductive glue. It should be noted that efficient packaging of the thermal sensor may further improve temperature response time and stabilize the results.

Fig. 5 illustrates a sensor patch 100 according to yet another example of the present subject matter. The sensor patch 100 may include a circular strip 120 placed at the back of the sensing element on the bottom side of the sensor patch (i.e., the side opposite the skin surface of the subject). In an example, a circular strip 120 may be placed under the thermally conductive glue and metal beads 118. The circular strip 120 may be made of a suitable material such as a fiber cloth or the like. The circular strip 120 so attached may minimize the thermal resistance between the skin surface and the sensing element, which may reduce the temperature response time while also maximizing the thermal resistance from the substrate to the ambient air.

Fig. 6 (a) and 6 (b) illustrate an example sensor patch 100 according to the present subject matter. The sensor patch 100 may be integrated in any commercially available bra. In the example, sensor patch 100 may be packaged in a bra with disposable material 122, which disposable material 122 may be sterilized by techniques that may include, but are not limited to, steam, low Temperature Steam Formaldehyde (LTSF) sterilization, and ethylene oxide sterilizer (ETO). Examples of disposable material 122 may include, but are not limited to, crepe paper, nonwoven sheets, and medical grade paper-plastic bags. Fig. 6 (a) illustrates a sensor patch 100 sandwiched between two layers of disposable material 122. Further, fig. 6 (b) illustrates a layered view of the sensor patch 100 and the disposable material 122.

Fig. 7 illustrates a bra 700 for incorporating the sensor patch 100 according to an example of the present subject matter. Generally, commercially available brassieres include a cup, a strap attached to the cup, and a shoulder strap attached to the cup and strap. The harness extends around the chest of the subject, the cup holds the breast volume and is attached to the front of the harness, and the shoulder strap is sewn directly to the harness such that the shoulder strap is connected to the harness at one end and to the upper portion of the cup at the other end. Notably, there are approximately "40" commercially available bra sizes. The volume of breast tissue held by each cup varies based on the cup size of the bra (such as A, B or C, etc.) and the back strap size of the bra (such as 30, 32 or 42, etc.). Thus, one skilled in the art will appreciate that integrating the sensor patch 100 into any bra would require a different size sensor patch 100. It is also noted that brassieres with different sizes can hold the same volume of breast tissue, although the shape of the cup and the length of the back strap can vary. Such brassieres are said to have sister dimensions. Table 1 tabulates this sister size series for different commercially available brassieres.

Size 1	28A
						Size 2	28B	30A
Size 3	28C	30B	32A
						Size 4	28D	30C	32B	34A
Size 5	28DD	30D	32C	34B	36A
						Size 6	30DD	32D	34C	36B	38A
Size 7	32DD	34D	36C	38B	40A
						Size 8	34DD	36D	38C	40B	42A
Size 9	36DD	38D	40C	42B
						Size 10	38DD	40D	42C
Dimension 11	40DD	42D
						Size 12	42DD

In examples of the present subject matter, a bra incorporating the sensor patch 100 includes a harness extender 702. Strap extender 702 may be used to cover the respective sister sizes of the bra, such as 36D, 38C, 40B, and 42A, etc., by extending the length of the strap. Thus, harness extender 702 may enable the use of "12" brassieres to cover "40" commercially available bra sizes.

Fig. 8 illustrates a method 800 of manufacturing a sensor patch 100 according to an example of the present subject matter. The order in which the method 800 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 800 or an alternative method.

It should be noted that the methods of manufacturing the sensor patch described herein are merely exemplary and should not be construed as limiting. The sensor patch may also be manufactured by other methods such as 3D printing.

At block 802, a substrate of the sensor patch may be processed to deform the sensor patch to a desired geometry, wherein the processing includes cutting on the substrate to obtain radial and spiral cuts. Radial cuts may be made from the center of the substrate to the outer edges of the substrate. In addition, radial cuts may be made with adjustable slit elements that may enable folding along multiple marked edges to fit commercially available bra sizes. The substrate may also have an overlap region along the adjustable slit element. The cutting may be performed using any suitable cutting process, such as laser cutting, to obtain radial and helical cuts.

In an example, after processing of the substrate, conductive wires may be incorporated on the substrate. In the example, the conductive wire may be incorporated between successive spiral cuts on the substrate. The conductive wires may be incorporated using suitable additive or subtractive processes such as printing or etching. The conductive wire may be incorporated in such a way that the conductive wire may provide a minimum resistance path and avoid intersecting paths with radial and spiral cuts. In an example, conductive wires are incorporated into the substrate to facilitate power transfer and collect data from sensing elements that will be embedded on the substrate in the next step in manufacturing the sensor patch.

At block 804, a sensing element may be embedded on a substrate. The sensing element may be embedded on the substrate to acquire temperature response data from the breast of the subject. Furthermore, the sensing element may be embedded on the substrate in several ways. In an example, the sensing element may be printed on the substrate. In another example, commercially available sensing elements may be embedded on a substrate. In the example, a plurality of bond pads may be attached to the substrate, after which the sensing element is attached to the bond pads. Attaching the sensing element to the bond pad may be performed via a robust bonding technique such as soldering or anisotropic bonding.

In an example, the stiffener may be embedded on the substrate prior to attaching the bond pads and sensing elements to the substrate. The embedding of the stiffener may provide mechanical strength to the area of the substrate to which the sensing element is attached.

In another example, the adhesive tape may be attached to the sensing element after the bond pads are attached to the substrate. The adhesive tape may be attached on a side of the skin surface of the sensing element facing the subject. The adhesive tape may be an authenticated medical grade adhesive tape. In an example, the adhesive tape may be deformed to have a notch corresponding to the sensing element such that the sensing element is directly exposed to the skin surface when the sensor patch is in contact with the skin surface. In the example, the notch may be square. Further, in the example, the deformation of the adhesive tape may be performed by a laser cutting technique.

At block 806, the substrate may be folded along the radial scribe to deform the sensor into a 3D kirigam structure.

Subsequently, at block 808, the substrate may be folded along the spiral score to deform the substrate, thereby obtaining the shape of the breast and ensuring good contact of the sensing element with the skin surface.

Although examples of the subject matter have been described in language specific to methods and/or structural features, it is to be understood that the subject matter is not limited to the specific methods or features described. Rather, the methods and specific features are disclosed and described as examples of the present subject matter.

Claims

1. A sensor patch (100) for breast cancer screening, the sensor patch (100) comprising:

a plurality of sensing elements (104) for acquiring temperature response data from a breast of a subject;

a two-dimensional flexible substrate, 2D flexible substrate (102) serving as a base for the plurality of sensing elements (104), wherein the 2D flexible substrate (102) comprises a plurality of scratches to deform the sensor patch (100) to a desired breast geometry.

2. The sensor patch (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of scratches includes radial scratches (106) to deform the 2D flexible substrate (102) into a three-dimensional kirigam structure, i.e., a 3D kirigam structure, wherein the radial scratches (106) each extend from a center to an outer edge of the 2D flexible substrate (102).

3. The sensor patch (100) of claim 2, wherein the radial cut (106) comprises an adjustable slit element (106-1, 106-2, …, 106-n), wherein the adjustable slit element (106-1, 106-2, …, 106-n) enables the sensor patch (100) to be folded to fit a commercially available bra size.

4. The sensor patch (100) of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cuts includes a spiral cut (108) to deform the 2D flexible substrate (102) corresponding to a shape of a breast of a subject.

5. The sensor patch (100) of claim 4, further comprising a conductive wire (110), the conductive wire (110) being embedded between consecutive spiral cuts (108), wherein the conductive wire (110) facilitates transmission of power to the plurality of sensing elements (104) and collection of temperature response data from the plurality of sensing elements (104).

6. The sensor patch (100) of claim 5, further comprising a conductive bond pad (112), the conductive bond pad (112) for attaching the plurality of sensing elements (104) to the 2D flexible substrate (102), the conductive bond pad (112) connected to the conductive wire (110) for facilitating transmission of power to the plurality of sensing elements (104) and collection of temperature response data from the plurality of sensing elements (104).

7. The sensor patch (100) of claim 1, further comprising a stiffener (114), the stiffener (114) being attached under a conductive bond pad (112) to provide mechanical strength to an area on the 2D flexible substrate (102) where the plurality of sensing elements (104) are attached.

8. The sensor patch (100) of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive tape (116), the adhesive tape (116) being attached to the sensor patch (100), wherein the adhesive tape (116) is fixed on a side of the skin surface facing the subject above the plurality of sensing elements (104).

9. The sensor patch (100) of claim 8, wherein the adhesive strip (116) includes a notch to expose each of the plurality of sensing elements (104) to a skin surface.

10. The sensor patch (100) of claim 1, wherein each sensing element of the plurality of sensing elements (104) is encapsulated by a metal bead (118).

11. The sensor patch (100) of claim 8, further comprising a circular bar (120), the circular bar (120) being placed under each of the plurality of sensing elements (104) to maintain thermal resistance of the plurality of sensing elements (104), wherein the circular bar (120) is placed on a side opposite to a side of the skin surface facing the subject.