Recognizing that women in 90% of the developing world don’t have access to early detection of breast cancer, Mumbai-based startup UE Lifesciences developed iBreastExam (iBE), a handheld, mobile connected, and completely wireless device which can detect tumor tissues as small as 1/8 of an inch (3-5 mm) while emitting no harmful radiation. The patented tactile technology using a piezoelectric sensor array was invented by scientists and doctors at Drexel University in Philadelphia. The device is US FDA cleared and CE marked.
With $1.3 million in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, University City Science Center, Drexel’s Coulter Program and Unitus Seed Fund, iBE was developed by a team of twenty scientists, engineers, and clinicians.
UE LifeSciences announced a distribution partnership with GE Healthcare to commercialize iBE in twenty-five countries across South-Asia, South-East Asia and Africa. Commenting on the partnership, Terri Bresenham, president and CEO, GE Healthcare Sustainable Healthcare Solutions said, “We are delighted to welcome UE Lifesciences as partner in our efforts to improving healthcare outcomes for the world’s developing economies.”