Julian Rios Cantu was just 13-years-old when his mom learned she had breast cancer. When her cancer returned a second time a few years later, the young man couldn’t cope with the fear of losing his mother. He decided to make a difference, to do something that could help save other families from suffering a similar experience.
By the age of 18, Julian had designed an invention that could help save thousands of lives. With the support of three friends, Julian formed Higia Technologies to develop a bra that detects cancer in its earliest stages.
Breast cancer can spread rapidly, so early detection is key for the highest chance of recovery. Julian watched his mother suffer through a late diagnosis and he didn’t want to see anyone else suffer the same fate.
EVA, the Auto Exploration Bra, looks like a simple piece of athletic wear. Inside the bra has 200 micro sensors that can detect tiny changes in the breasts.
“Breast cancer detection bra [is] equipped with tactile sensors to map the surface of the breast and surrounding areas, along with its texture, color and temperature,” Higia Technologies explains on YouTube. The bra is designed to be worn for an hour to 90 minutes once per week. Small cancerous tumors can change the blood flow in a woman’s breasts. The bra detects and records these changes and sends the data to an application shared with the wearer’s primary care provider.
The data collected by EVA is invaluable for tracking subtle changes in breast health over time. While this invention is still in early development, it has the potential to change the face of breast cancer diagnosis in the 21st century.
Julian’s company was awarded a $20,000 research grant by the Global Student Entrepreneur Award Foundation to continue development of this ground-breaking idea.
Like and share this story if you’re proud of brave young inventors like Julian. Please leave a comment on Facebook and let us know what you thought about his invention.