It is not intended for patients with clear mammographic or non-mammographic indications for biopsy. The device has the potential to reduce the number of negative biopsies, thus saving women worry about breast lesions that turn out to be non-cancerous. It also has the potential to increase the identification of women who should be referred for early biopsy. The probe is connected to a computer, which displays an image of the involved area of the breast. The T-Scan images are based on differences in the electrical impedance between malignant tumor tissue and surrounding normal tissue.
Impedance is a measure of how any material affects the flow of electricity.
The device measures impedance by passing a small electrical signal through the body and displaying on a computer the result from sensors in the probe contacting the breast. The computer image contains bright spots where the impedance values are consistent with a possible malignancy.