The quality of Clinical Breast Examinations (CBE) hinges on precision, repeatability, and accuracy to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients. Various types of automatic and semi-automatic devices have been suggested earlier to improve CBE, especially in difficult-to-detect and hard-to-reach cases like during minimally invasive surgery. Some efforts have been made earlier to use technology to improve CBE standards by utilizing a robot or electronic device to physically palpate breast tissue. Now, researchers have leveraged the latest technological advances in manipulation and sensor technology to develop a device that can perform CBE more efficiently.

The CBE manipulator, designed by a research team at the University of Bristol (Bristol, UK), is engineered to apply specific forces similar to those exerted by a human examiner. Moreover, it is capable of detecting lumps at greater depths thanks to advanced sensor technology. The team used 3D printing and computerized numerical control methods to construct the device, conducting both lab experiments and computer simulations on a silicone model of a breast and its digital counterpart, both modeled on a volunteer. These simulations enabled the researchers to carry out thousands of palpations, evaluating different hypothetical scenarios such as calculating the efficiency of using varying numbers of sensors simultaneously. Laboratory experiments on the silicone breast confirmed that their simulations were accurate and also helped to identify the appropriate forces for the actual device.

Looking forward, the team aims to integrate professional CBE techniques and artificial intelligence while fully outfitting the device with sensors. This would help assess how effective the complete system can be in identifying potential cancer risks. The ultimate objective is for the device to possess the ability to detect lumps with a level of accuracy and depth that surpasses human touch alone. The device could also potentially be used in conjunction with other existing diagnostic methods, like ultrasound tests. This innovation could transform how women monitor their breast health by offering them electronic CBEs in convenient locations like pharmacies and health centers.

“We hope that the research can contribute to and complement the arsenal of techniques used to diagnose breast cancer, and to generate a large amount of data associated with it that may be useful in trying to identify large scale trends that could help diagnose breast cancer early,” said lead author George Jenkinson. “So far we have laid all of the groundwork. We have shown that our robotic system has the dexterity necessary to carry out a clinical breast examination – we hope that in the future this could be a real help in diagnosing cancers early.” 

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