Comparison of M5 and M6 versions of the MARIA® imaging system in patients attending symptomatic breast clinic at Thirlestaine Breast Centre, including a sub-study to research the dielectric constant of aspirated cyst fluid

Poster Download

This study builds on previous work undertaken in healthy volunteers. The MARIA® breast imaging system is a CE-marked radio-frequency medical imaging device that uses an electromagnetic technique to exploit contrasts between normal, benign and malignant tissues. The device requires the patient to lie prone with their breast positioned within a scanning cup, with an antenna array housed underneath.

There are three recruitment routes for this study:

1) A comparison study between images obtained between the M5 array and the M6 array when the patient is not removed from the cup insert between scans. This is analysing back-to-back repeatability between the systems and within each system itself.

2) A comparison study between images obtained between the M5 array and the M6 array when the patient is asked to sit up between scans. This is measuring repeatability after the disruption of the patient getting up and then repositioning themselves for the scan.

3) A study to measure the dielectric constant of routinely aspirated cyst fluid to analyse differences in this measurement depending on cyst type. This research is believed to be the first of its kind that the authors are aware of.

Study approved by Yorkshire & The Humber-South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee on 16 January 2019, with recruitment beginning in April 2019.