In 2025, around 37,600 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in Spain, according to figures published by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM). It is the most common type of cancer among women in Spain, with an estimated 1 in 8 women developing breast cancer during their lifetime. The five-year average survival rate stands at 85%, thanks to medical advances and, above all, screening programmes.

Now, a research team from the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC) has developed MARIA, a pioneering medical prototype designed to radically transform early breast cancer detection as a complementary tool to traditional mammograms. The device features a flexible fabric membrane that identifies tumour anomalies via electrodes that detect electrical conductivity using an innovative algorithm. It is therefore non-invasive, radiation-free and easy to use.

The device was developed by a research team made up of Ángeles Carmona, Ana María Cortés, Andrés M. Encinas, María José Jiménez, Enric Monsó and Inti Toalombo, from the Matrix Analysis and Discrete Potential Theory (MAPTHE) research group at the UPC’s Barcelona East School of Engineering (EEBE), alongside Álvaro Samperio, from the Department of Mathematics at CUNEF Universidad in Madrid.

Applied mathematics in healthcare

The project stems from mathematical research. The scientific team developed a new algorithm to address the inverse conductivity problem, which involves estimating the electrical conductivity distribution inside a body using current and voltage measurements taken exclusively from its surface. This is a particularly complex and unstable mathematical and numerical problem, as minor errors or noise in the measurements can lead to significant discrepancies in the reconstruction.

This mathematical problem also forms the theoretical basis of electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a non-invasive imaging technique with medical applications. The algorithm developed by the team and incorporated into the MARIA device reduces sensitivity to measurement noise, yielding more robust tomographic reconstructions.

The scientific principle behind the research is straightforward: tumours require blood to grow and, being more vascularised, their electrical conductivity is significantly higher than that of healthy tissue. As researcher Ángeles Carmona explains, “by setting electrical potentials and reading currents from the outside, the system can pinpoint anomalies due to increased conductivity.”

A wearable device for all ages

Unlike current mammograms—which are uncomfortable and aggressive due to the required breast compression—the prototype under development is designed to be highly usable with potential for mass production, thereby reducing triage costs.

The device operates using electrodes that adapt optimally to any breast shape. To achieve this, the research team is working with flexible electronics to ensure good contact with the skin. Researcher Inti Toalombo explains that “the project already has a patent application pending for the construction of this membrane.”

The complete absence of radiation opens up a range of preventive possibilities previously unfeasible:

• Use in excluded high-risk groups: it could be used safely on pregnant women or young girls from the age of 15, for whom mammograms are fully contraindicated due to cumulative radiation.
• Primary care detection: the team intends for MARIA to be used directly by general practitioners. Healthcare staff would place the membrane on the patient’s breast and view an almost immediate tomographic image on a screen. If an anomaly is detected, the patient would be referred to the relevant hospital service.

“This could be done daily if needed, as it only applies a minor, entirely harmless electrical current. It would serve as a preliminary, preventive step before in-depth analysis,” Toalombo adds.

Preclinical phase and the funding challenge

The project is currently in the middle of its preclinical phase. The team has already validated the algorithms and electronics on laboratory phantoms (agarose gel and salt breasts that simulate the density and conductivity of breast tissue). The next steps involve conducting ex vivo testing (on animal tissue) followed by further trials carried out in collaboration with the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP).

Presented at the Science for Industry (S4i) conference in Madrid and at the 2026 EIT Conference in Sheffield (UK), the project has received funding from the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) under the Government of Catalonia’s Knowledge Industry grants.

“We are currently awaiting further funding. If secured, the medical device could be fully developed and initial patient validation phases could begin within two to three years, once necessary medical regulations are cleared,” states researcher Ángeles Carmona. “Additionally, it could be adapted for other medical applications, such as neonatal brain monitoring,” she concludes.