Pulse-echo speed-of-sound imaging for breast cancer care
Official title: Advancing pulse-echo speed-of-sound imaging: Toward accurate, robust, and fast methods for practical use
Funded at Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ · NIH-11432245 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aadvanced ultrasound method measures how fast sound travels through breast tissue to better detect and characterize breast cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Blacksburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $750,993 |
| NIH project number | 1R01EB039768-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11432245 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients undergoing breast ultrasound or biopsy-related imaging at participating sites may be considered if they provide tissue or imaging data for validation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with non-breast conditions or those not undergoing SoS-imaging based evaluation may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project aims to develop a fast, robust 2-D pulse-echo speed-of-sound imaging method that works with standard ultrasound probes. It focuses on making SoS maps real-time and practical for routine clinical use, with potential to improve cancer detection and characterization alongside existing ultrasound techniques. The work involves algorithm development, validation in tissue models and with animal studies, and benchmarking against current imaging methods to ensure accuracy and reliability. If successful, clinicians could gain a more specific imaging biomarker to help guide diagnosis and treatment decisions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from more accurate breast cancer characterization and better image quality during ultrasound exams.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier 2-D SoS approaches show promise but lack robust, real-time, clinically practical 2-D mapping with standard probes; this project aims to close that gap.
Where this research is happening
-
Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
Blacksburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Han, Aiguo — Virginia Polytechnic Inst and St Univ
- Study coordinator: Han, Aiguo
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.