UPB-CCSAE
SELF-ASSESSMENT RECORD
for contract no. 125/2006, CEEX M1
Contracting party : UPB – CCSAE
Project title: LOCALISING AND EVALUATING THE DIMENSIONS OF THE BREAST TUMOR THROUGH THE SOLUTION OF THE THERMIC FIELD INVERSE PROBLEM - INVTERM
First step: Fundamental research and studies on the 3D detection of the breast tumors
Project value: 1.740.000 lei
Contract value: 1.445.000 lei
First step (budget finances) : 150.000 lei
General objective: performing and testing algorithms and software for the solution of the thermic field inverse problem used to localize and evaluate the dimensions of the breast tumors.
Step objective: research, studies and analysis necessary for obtaining the best solutions for the next steps problems and objectives.
The following activities have been accomplished:
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Activities |
Author |
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I.1 Research on the thermal and geometrical characteristics of the breast tissues |
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|
|
1 |
Research on the tumor shapes, thermical characteristics and constants |
CO - (PUB) |
|
2 |
Research on mesh generators |
Partner 2 (ICPE) |
|
I.2 Studies and analysis |
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|
|
3 |
Hardware systems |
Partner 2 (ICPE) |
|
4 |
Performance demands, standards and protocols in clinical thermography |
Partner 2 (ICPE) |
|
5 |
Software implementation for data acquisition |
Partner 3 (S_IND) |
|
6 |
Procedures of medical investigations |
Partner 4 (UTM) |
|
7 |
Signal processing |
Partner 5 (UT Iasi) |
The results obtained within the activities are:
a) A vast research on:
- The necessity of thermal investigation for the early detection of the breast cancers
- State-of–the-art for the thermographical detection of the breast tumor
- The anatomy and pathology of the breast
- Malignant and benign breast tumors
- Theoretical aspects related to the thermal diffusion within the breast tissues
- Mathematical models for the thermal field problem
- Thermal characteristics and properties, thermal constants
- This work uses more than 60 references
- Dr Bogdan Cupceancu, one of the greatest Romanian specialists in breast thermography contributed to this study.
b) An analysis of the protocols used in breast thermography. They are adopted and used by all the specialists and they will be the starting point for the new recommended protocols in determine the tumor shape and location.
c) An analysis of the most modern medical techniques for breast investigations: self tests and professional investigations like mammography, ecography, MRN (magnetic resonance), thermography.
d) A study on mesh generation for FEM analysis of the thermic field problem. Most of the mesh generators use extruding techniques from the 2D mesh to the three-dimensional one. This “friendly” solution demands a minimum effort from the user. Some other mesh generators are devoted to specific types of applications. Within this research project a mesh focused on breast geometry have to be used. As an automatic system to generate the breast geometry has a high cost, the breast shape can be defined using some specific parameters. For instance, an ellipsoidal shape can be adopted, defining the axis dimensions and the crossection plane at the level of the thorax. Using simple measurements, these parameters can be calculated and then the mesh can be obtained.
e) Hardware and software systems and signal processing necessary to the temperatures acquisition on the breast surface, using an infrared camera. The thermic field on the surface will be the data input for the inverse problem consisting in the detection of the tumor shape and location.
Within the first step of this project, the partners efforts were focused on vast studies necessary to obtain the best results and solutions for the problems and aspects of the next steps. At ATEE 2006 Conference (Politehnica University of Bucharest) a paper was presented. The paper describes the results related to the thermic field problem within the breast tissue and the breast tumors; an original and efficient method for the detection of the tumor shape and location was presented.
Project Manager ,
PhD. Eng. Prof. Ioan Florea HĂNŢILĂ