example, for a breast 10 cm in size, the value for (t) in Figure 1b would be:10cm = 100 mm , 10 ps = 2mm , 500 ps = t(10 cm/2mm = 50, 50x10 ps = 500 ps)Photons that arrive later than 500 ps have traveled a longer path and thus cannot have traveled straight through the breast. The later the arrival of photons after 500 ps, the less useful the photons for breast imaging. Figure 2, below, illustrates this concept.Photons that travel Path 1 travel a shorter path than Path 2 and arrive sooner than photons that traveled Path 2. As can be seen, it is possible for photons to travel a path, such as Path 2 and completely miss a lesion. CTLM has the capability to select the photons used for imaging and thereby increase the ability to detect small lesions. This capability is illustrated in Figure 3. The capability to select the photons used for imaging is called time-gated or time-resolved imaging and is the feature that allows medical optical imaging to become a valuable diagnostic imaging tool. A biopsy is the only sure way to know whether a breast lump or a suspicious area seen on a mammogram is, in fact, cancer. A biopsy is a microscopic analysis of cells taken from the lump to determine if they are cancerous. The cells can be obtained by fine-needle aspiration, in which a few cells are extracted using a thin needle and a syringe, or open biopsy, in which a larger sample of tissue is surgically removed. In conclusion, breast cancer is a dangerous and statistically prevalent disease that we are working hard to overcome. The level of research in progress on this disease is unsurpassable. New diagnostic methods such as digital mammography and computed laser mammography are forging ahead with the guidance of organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the National Cancer Institute, and private companies such as Imaging Diagnostic Systems. We are moving positively toward more effective treatments and diagnosis. The contribution of these ...
