Nominated: High-precision X-rays of breast tissue
Marco Stampanoni, researcher at PSI and Professor at the Institute for Biomedical Engineering, his colleague Dr. Zhentian Wang and their team have been nominated for this year’s European Inventor Award. The two scientists have been conducting research for more than ten years, in the pursuit of improved diagnostic methods for the early detection of breast cancer. The nomination for this prestigious award is in recognition of their pioneering work. The winners will be announced on 21 June 2022.
The two scientists have conceived an innovative diagnostic method that allows accurate and painless diagnosis of breast cancer. Their invention is based on a technique known as phase-contrast imaging. This X-ray method not only detects how much radiation is absorbed by the tissue, but also how the radiation changes direction slightly as it passes through different tissue densities. This additional information can be captured and processed into an image. “Our diagnostic method produces incredibly sharp images with excellent detail and contrast, making it easier than using traditional mammography to identify possible pre-stages of breast cancer, such as microcalcification, thickening or asymmetry,” Marco Stampanoni explains.
Since 2006, the European Patent Office (EPO) has been presenting an annual award to honour scientists whose ground-breaking inventions contribute to the technological and economic progress of our society and thereby, help to considerably improve our daily lives. The list includes five categories, with three nominees in each. Marco Stampanoni and Zhentian Wang are finalists in the category "non-EPO countries" – this covers inventions developed in countries that are not members of the EPO, or those developed in collaboration with non-EPO countries.
The nomination for this prestigious award is in recognition of their pioneering work. The winners will be announced at the award ceremony on 21 June 2022.