Smart bra-shaped MRI breast coil (BRACOIL)

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is on its way to be the alternative to conventional X-ray-based mammography with the benefit of being safe since no ionizing radiation is involved, and more comfortable, as no squeezing of the breasts is required. In the current implementations of breast MRI, the women lie face down in an MR scanner bore, with their breasts hanging into two holes. These are surrounded by so-called coils, which are used to measure the actual MR signal. In the state-of-the-art, this technology is limited by the rather lengthy measurement time, and the fixed size of the coil, not adapted to the individual breasts. In addition, oftentimes the use of a contrast agent is required for improved diagnostic value. The research project BRACOIL will develop a technology that overcomes these restrictions, and will lead to a paradigm shift in breast cancer screening. Four main breakthroughs are contributing to this goal: 1. To improve comfort, and for better comparability to other methods like ultra-sound or biopsy, the measurement will be performed lying in a face-up position. 2. Light-weight and shape-adaptable breast coils with different sizes will be developed. This enables having the optimal shape for each individual breast, strongly enhancing the measured MR signal. 3. The expected additional motion arising from heartbeat and breathing in face-up position will be corrected for by new sensors and sophisticated software algorithms. 4. With the improved measurement signal and the better data quality through motion correction, new image acquisition techniques with higher diagnostic value become feasible in shorter measurement time. This will enable breast MRI without the use of contrast agents. BRACOIL has the potential to revolutionize the technology for breast cancer screening on a broad basis, all while increasing comfort of the women, and the specificity of diagnosis.

The BRACOIL project funded in a joint program between FWF and ANR (France) developed a new diagnostic medical device for breast cancer detection using MRI, the "BraCoil". It is a flexible radio frequency coil that can be worn like a vest. In contrast to standard breast exams, the BraCoil enables MRI of the breast with the woman lying comfortably on her back, while strongly increasing the achievable image quality and speed of the exam. In addition, in this position, the images can be easily used for further procedures like ultrasound-guided biopsy, breast-conserving surgery or radiation therapy planning.