Wednesday, September 3, 2025 9/3/2025

Multifrequency ultrasound imaging for improved breast tissue characterization

Award Number: R01CA269973
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2025
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2027

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Multifrequency ultrasound imaging for improved breast tissue characterization - PROJECT SUMMARY The use of noninvasive ultrasound for quantitative tissue characterization has been an exciting research prospect for several decades now. Herein the challenge is to find hidden patterns in the ultrasound data to reveal more information about tissue function and pathology that cannot be seen in the more conventional ultrasound images. Bypassing some of the limitations associated with traditional tissue characterization approaches, a new modality has emerged for the ultrasound classification of acoustic scatterers like cancer cells. Termed H-scan ultrasound (where the ‘H’ stands for Hermite or hue), this innovative real-time imaging technique reveals the local frequency dependence of different-sized scatterer aggregates found in soft tissue. Our preliminary preclinical findings using in vivo H-scan ultrasound have indicated that this new imaging technique is useful for detecting apoptotic activity and an early response to chemotherapy. Here changes in H-scan ultrasound image intensity were shown to have a strong correlation to local cancer cell nuclear size. Guided by knowledge gained from these previous studies, the purpose of the current research project is to develop a next-generation in vivo H-scan ultrasound imaging system and tumor characterization method. Our first goal is to implement a multifrequency H-scan ultrasound imaging functionality on programmable scanner equipped with a wideband capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT). This new ultrasound imaging technology will be tested and optimized using a series of phantom materials embedded with scatterers of known size. Next, we will quantify success of H-scan ultrasound imaging for monitoring an early response to chemotherapy using a preclinical model of breast cancer that recapitulates human disease. We will then compare H-scan ultrasound findings to physical measurements of cancer cell size and results obtained by competing imaging technologies. Lastly, we will conduct the first human study of multifrequency H-scan ultrasound imaging of breast cancer and evaluate the potential for helping with disease management.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $0 )
2025	2024	TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION	3124 TAMU	COLLEGE STATION	TX	77843	BRAZOS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	002	3	8/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2023	TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION	3124 TAMU	COLLEGE STATION	TX	77843	BRAZOS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	2	2/13/2025	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$360,716
2025	2022	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS	800 WEST CAMPBELL RD.	RICHARDSON	TX	75080	DALLAS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	2/13/2025	NEW	-$360,716
														Subtotal = $0

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $532,278 )
2024	2024	TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION	3124 TAMU	COLLEGE STATION	TX	77843	BRAZOS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	3	7/18/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$532,278
2024	2023	TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION	3124 TAMU	COLLEGE STATION	TX	77843	BRAZOS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	2	3/15/2024	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$0
														Subtotal = $532,278

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $555,370 )
2023	2023	TEXAS A&M ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION	3124 TAMU	COLLEGE STATION	TX	77843	BRAZOS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	001	2	9/6/2023	CHANGE OF GRANTEE / TRAINING INSTITUTION / AWARDING INSTITUTION	$555,370
2023	2022	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS	800 WEST CAMPBELL RD.	RICHARDSON	TX	75080	DALLAS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	9/6/2023	NEW	$0
														Subtotal = $555,370

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $603,593 )
2022	2022	UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT DALLAS	800 W CAMPBELL RD	RICHARDSON	TX	75080	DALLAS	USA	Cancer Detection and Diagnosis Research	000	1	8/15/2022	NEW	$603,593
														Subtotal = $603,593

Grand Total All Awards = $1,691,241

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Multifrequency ultrasound imaging for improved breast tissue characterization

Award Number: R01CA269973

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/01/2025

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2027

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