Tackling breast cancer, one mammogram at a time: NUS graduate wins the James Dyson Award with a first-of-its-kind tool to reduce patient discomfort during mammograms

• Luke Goh, an industrial design graduate from NUS has been recognised as the National Winner of the annual James Dyson Award and will be receiving S$8,400 to further develop his invention, Mammosense
• National Runners-up of this year’s award include yaR, a small, wearable pendant that taps on artificial intelligence (AI) to help the visually impaired understand their surroundings and navigate the environment, and airXeed Radiosonde, a reusable weather data collection instrument that allows for more efficient weather monitoring
• All three inventions will progress to the international stage of the James Dyson Award, where they will stand a chance to receive S$50,500

Luke Goh, a 26-year-old industrial design graduate from the National University of Singapore (NUS) has been recognised as the National Winner of the James Dyson Award for his invention, Mammosense. Driven by his mother’s uncomfortable experience during a mammogram, Luke developed a first-of-its-kind tool that analyses individuals’ breasts to determine the optimal compression force required during screenings, for greater patient comfort, to encourage increased participation in breast cancer screenings.

Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in Singaporean women , accounting for nearly 30% of all cancer diagnoses. According to the Singapore Cancer Registry, 1 in 13 women in Singapore will get breast cancer in their lifetime. However, 46% of potential patients avoid mammograms because of the discomfort and pain during the procedure .

The Invention: Mammosense

At present, radiographers estimate the compression needed during a mammogram, often resulting in over- or under-compression, which is not ideal for screening and contributes to a poor patient experience. Mammosense analyses individual breasts to determine the optimal breast compression force, reducing procedural pain by objectively adjusting the force applied during screenings.

It leverages Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to analyse the breast during mammograms and provide data-driven guidance for radiographers. Its sensors help map the breast digitally in its software, with algorithms processing the data in real time to help determine the optimal compression force required and achieve clear imaging while minimising discomfort.

Driven by his mother’s uncomfortable experience during a mammogram, Luke did extensive research into the challenges faced by both patients and radiographers. He also collaborated with medical professionals at the National University Hospital (NUH) to better understand the problem and even underwent a mammogram to experience this discomfort firsthand.

Reflecting on this achievement, Luke said, “It is a tremendous honour and a significant milestone for me. This recognition not only validates the efforts put into addressing a critical issue in breast cancer screening, but also highlights the potential impact of innovative design solutions in healthcare. It’s incredibly gratifying to see Mammosense recognised on such a prestigious platform, and the exposure and validation from the James Dyson Award can help propel Mammosense to the next stage of development, potentially leading to broader adoption and positive changes in screening practices.”

Adjunct Professor Ngiam Kee Yuan, Judge for the 2024 James Dyson Award and Head of Academic Informatics Office, National University Health System (NUHS) commended, “Mammosense is a novel design-driven solution to address the problem of breast cancer screening uptake. It uses engineering principles to solve the problem of appropriate pressure to be applied on the breast to obtain clear mammograms and integrates seamlessly with existing mammogram machines, helping radiographers apply the right amount of pressure, hence improving the comfort of the procedure. It is hoped that Mammosense will drive more women to go for regular breast screenings to reduce the incidence of late-stage breast cancer diagnoses.”

Early trials have shown that Mammosense is able to reduce force exertion by 34%, with a 25% reduction in reported pain experienced during breast compression. Winning the national leg of the James Dyson award will inject S$8,400 into Luke’s project, enabling him to further research and develop Mammosense. The goal is to reduce patient discomfort during mammograms while being a practical and cost-effective solution to simultaneously encourage widespread adoption by healthcare providers.

Brian Hu, Judge for the 2024 James Dyson Award and Head of Electronics at Dyson said, “Every year, the James Dyson Award receives many innovative inventions from brilliant young engineers who draw inspiration from personal experiences to innovate solutions for real-life problems. The Award celebrates the creativity and perseverance of young engineers, putting them and their innovations on a global stage and opening doors to further its development. I look forward to seeing more game-changing innovations from the next generation of young engineers in the years to come.”

At present, Mammosense has been patented in Singapore, in partnership with NUS and NUH. Luke is currently working on increasing the LiDAR detection resolution to improve the reliability of force recommendations and collaborating closely with local hospitals to perform larger pilot tests with patients to evaluate its effectiveness in enhancing screening experiences.

All three inventions will progress to the international stage of the James Dyson Award where they will stand a chance to receive S$50,500. The international top 20 shortlist will be announced on 16th October, and the international winners on 13th November.

The James Dyson Award is an international design competition which inspires and celebrates the next generation of design engineers. The Award operates across 29 countries this year and has supported over 400 problem-solving inventions with over £1m in prize money. It is run by the James Dyson Foundation, Sir James Dyson’s engineering-education charity.