Pre-mammogram digital technology immediately defines characteristics of breast lesions in women of all ages, aiding physicians in early diagnostic and treatment decisions for patients with breast cancer.

One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime, while 40,000 mothers, wives and daughters ultimately succumb each year to this terrible disease. Early detection is the ONLY means to improve the survival rate, but current screening procedures have not achieved high effectiveness at a reasonable cost.

• Screening mammograms are only performed for women over 40 because they are generally ineffective in younger women with dense breast tissue.
• Women under 40 have higher metabolic rates, which increases the deadliness of breast cancer.
• Recent studies have shown that a vast majority of women over 40 in the U.S. do not go to a yearly mammogram. Reasons include significant discomfort issues, repeated radiation exposure and cost.
• Clinical breast exams are considered subjective and non-scientific, despite the fact that most breast cancers are still detected by the patient through palpation.

The SureTouch Product

The SureTouch Visual Mapping System is a self-contained tactile sensing device that documents the shape, hardness and size of breast lesions. National Institutes of Health funded research published in the American Journal of Surgery, has shown the SureTouch exam to be 94% accurate at identifying true palpable lesions as well as in determining if the mass itself was cancerous. The sensing technology measures the reactive pressures generated by cancerous tissue, which is more than 100 times harder than normal tissue. And unlike clinical breast exams (CBEs), SureTouch produces results that are quantifiable, repeatable and electronically documented. It is easy to operate, and the training required is minimal.

SureTouch has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and has been on the market since late 2005. Since that time, the system has been commercially available to select physicians, specialists and clinics. Also, in 2007, SureTouch received approval to carry the CE marking, which is mandatory before certain products can be sold in Europe. Approval to display the marking means that the manufacturers of SureTouch have demonstrated that its product conforms to the European community’s rigorous health and safety standards.

For women under forty, the SureTouch Pre-Mammogram Exam offers the first accurate, affordable and comfortable screening solution. Unlike a mammogram exam, where the entire breast is compressed, SureTouch is a simple hand-held device that mimics a manual exam. Other benefits are that it is effective and safe for women of all ages and that the exam is a fraction of the cost of a mammogram. This unique combination of high effectiveness and low cost per use creates a revolutionary product for early detection of breast cancer.

 

The Company

The SureTouch Visual Mapping System is manufactured by Medical Tactile, Inc. (MTI), of Los Angeles. Dr. Jae Son, the key developer behind SureTouch’s patented technology, holds an Engineering Sciences Ph.D. from Harvard University. Medical Tactile owns 10 patents in the field of pre-mammography technology. Given MTI’s unique technical expertise and strong intellectual property, direct competition any time in the near future is unlikely.

 

Summary

Every breast care professional should perform pre-mammogram exams; it can save patients’ lives. The SureTouch Visual Mapping System takes the guesswork out of the clinical breast exam and can be especially beneficial for women under 40 with more dense breast tissue. Because the SureTouch exam is a fraction of the cost of a mammogram, its successful outcomes could even be more dramatic among economically disadvantaged women, who tend to be uninsured or underinsured and to postpone health care, resulting in delayed diagnosis. SureTouch pre-mammogram exams offer a level of protection against breast cancer that does not currently exist.