Karkat Nirnay Yantra (Infrared Imaging based Breast Cancer Screening System)

“Karkat Nirnay Yantra: An Infrared Imaging based Breast Cancer Screening System” is a novel, innovative technique for non-invasive, no touch, non-radiating, harmless and painless breast cancer screening. The key concept in this system is, offering a technique for complete imaging of breast, leading to fewer chances of missing an abnormality with best comfort of a subject in sitting position.

This system uses Rotational Thermographic Imaging, Color based infrared image processing and copyrighted IR imaging software. Rotational Thermographic Imaging uses a table top mechanical arm-based system where the IR camera rotates centering the object i.e. each breast of the subject and captures all the possible views of it in two different body and ambient temperatures. The Infrared imaging and machine learning algorithm utilize datasets from two different temperature of the same “Region of Interest” (ROI). The temperature difference in affected region guides to a decision-making interface in Machine Learning algorithm for highlighting as an abnormal region.

The system is an outcome of MeitY funded project titled, “Studies on detection of cancer, processing Infrared Images and developing appropriate Instrumentation system for initial deployment in N.E. States (IR Cancer Project)”. As the outcome of the project work a system named “Karkat Nirnay Yantra” an Infrared based Breast cancer Screening system was developed. Demonstration of the system in various occasions and competitions were performed. The work achieved several awards and appreciations including patent and copyright.

Presently the KNY system deployed at Cachar Cancer Hospital Silchar , Assam,  North Eastern part of India for continuous data collection, Validation and reporting for breast cancer screening is in progress towards extensive field trial.

The validation outcomes so far for the analyzed 117 cases have been done. Tallying all the clinical reports and CDAC reports it was observed that, validation result is about 93.18% accuracy so far. The validation has been done by doctor’s findings with other modalities (BIRAD and BIOPSY validation).

The patent of the system has been published in Indian Patent Office Journal and the analysis software has been copyrighted. Till now it has achieved four awards.

Use Cases

• A per the eminent cancer specialist of AIIMS Delhi, the KNY system is a “Project of National Importance”. He also appreciated the research activity and encouraged the work to be “extended in a large-scale deployment at rural hospitals” in India.
• As the number cases are rapidly increasing day by day patients per doctor is also getting overloaded. In this scenario a rapid screening tool is very much necessary which will not make any harm to the patients during the screening and provide best comfort by ensuring no touch, no pain and radiation free modality.
• The developed IR based breast cancer screening system (Karkat Nirnay Yantra) can be installed in every cancer hospital in India for the screening of breast cancer patients.

Salient Features

• It is an Infrared Imaging based Breast cancer screening system with a temperature-controlled enclosure
• Non-invasive, no touch, non-radiating, harmless and painless system
• Rotational Thermographic Imaging offers a technique for complete imaging of breast which leads to higher screening accuracy in  abnormality detection  for breast cancer patients
• Interactive Graphical User interface for ease of use which offers accurate data collection techniques with minimum operator dependency
• Integrated Temperature control unit for Dynamic Infrared image collection
• System ensures the best comfort of a subject in sitting position
• Provides Instant & Rapid prediction of abnormality for breast cancer patients using inbuilt analysis software.