SAM #S-133625

Licensing Opportunity for Plane-Wave Ultrasound Tomography Technology from Los Alamos National Laboratory

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), managed by Triad National Security, LLC for the Department of Energy, is offering a technology licensing opportunity: - Opportunity is for commercial entities to license LANL's Plane-Wave Ultrasound Tomography technology - Focused on advanced cancer imaging, especially for prostate and breast cancer - Technology bundle includes patented and patent-pending inventions (US Patent Nos. 9,955,943; 9,955,944; 10,028,728; 11,344,283; 10,034,656; 10,231,707; 11,284,858) - Includes methods for ultrasound waveform tomography/inversion, efficiency improvements, and super-resolution imaging - Associated copyrighted software is also available for licensing - Both exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements are offered - No external development or procurement of services is requested—this is strictly a licensing opportunity - OEM is Los Alamos National Laboratory; products are the patented technologies and software - Key requirements: - Ability to enter into a licensing agreement - Focus on commercializing LANL-developed innovations

Locations: - Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM (contracting office and point of contact)

Description

Plane-wave ultrasound tomography from Los Alamos National Laboratory is a next-generation imaging platform designed to improve how tissue properties are reconstructed from ultrasound data, with a focus on detecting and characterizing prostate and breast cancer. The related invention disclosures describe a broader ultrasound toolkit that includes ultrasound waveform tomography/inversion, efficiency improvements and super-resolution imaging methods, creating a platform that can deliver more informative imaging while remaining practical for screening, diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

The Challenge Early cancer detection depends on imaging methods that can reliably distinguish suspicious tissue from healthy tissue, yet the disclosures note that effective imaging for dependable cancer detection and characterization remains limited. Current clinical ultrasound can be useful, but they often limited in their ability to provide sufficient detail about tissue properties, and they can be constrained by image resolution and quality. The inventors addressed a critical clinical need for ultrasound imaging that can perform more than generating an image—they need to help characterize the nature of the tissue itself.

Problems Solved The plane-wave tomography platform addresses these limitations by reconstructing tissue properties from plane-wave ultrasound data, rather than relying only on conventional image formation. These technologies also describe methods that improve reconstruction speed, stability, and resolution, including wave-energy-based preconditioning, spatial and edge regularization, and super-resolution TR-MUSIC techniques. Together, the technology bundle is intended to produce more accurate, higher-quality, and quantitative imaging that can better support cancer detection and characterization.

The broader problem solved by the Plane-Wave platform is the gap between conventional ultrasound imaging and clinically useful tissue characterization. Prostate and breast cancer detection benefit from imaging that is more sensitive to changes in tissue physical properties and more robust across different scanning conditions. These methods are designed to help imaging systems deliver more consistent results, improve diagnostic confidence, and extend the value of ultrasound into areas where existing methods may not provide sufficient information.

Advantages

Better tissue characterization than standard ultrasound Can use transmission data, reflection data, or both Supports prostate cancer and breast cancer applications, in addition to other diseases Aims to improve image quality and resolution while providing additional tissue-property information Helps with screening, diagnosis and treatment monitoring Includes related methods that improve reconstruction stability and efficiency

Market Applications

Medical and Diagnostic Imaging (ultrasound systems for hospitals and imaging centers, tissue characterization and lesion assessment) Cancer Screening (prostate and breast cancer detection programs) Treatment Monitoring (tracking response during therapy) Women’s Health (breast imaging and follow-up evaluation) Urology (prostate imaging and assessment)

TRL 5

S-133625.001

US Patent Nos. 9,955,943; 9,955,944; 10,028,728; 11,344,283; 10,034,656; 10,231,707; 11,284,858

LA-UR-26-23851

LANL Tech Partnerships: Unlock the Innovative Potential

Los Alamos National Laboratory offers a wide range of cutting-edge technologies and capabilities that may provide your company with a competitive edge in the market and unlock the innovative potential that can enhance, refine, and revolutionize your products.

LANL’s licensing program focuses on moving inventions developed by our researchers to commercial innovations. Patented and patent pending inventions and copyrighted software are available to existing and start-up companies through exclusive and non-exclusive licensing agreements. For specific discussions, please contact licensing@lanl.gov.

Note: This is not a call for external services for the development of this technology.

https://www.lanl.gov/engage/collaboration/feynman-center/partner-with-us/licensing-technology

m.lanl.gov/tech-search

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