Understanding QT SCAN
Technology behind your scan
A comparison chart of different modalities:
How does the QTscan® work?
Think of it as taking a 3D sound picture of the breast. Instead of using X-rays or compressing the breast like a mammogram, the QTscan uses gentle sound waves to gather information from many different angles while the breast rests comfortably in a warm water bath. Because different types of breast tissue interact with sound waves in different ways, advanced computer technology creates a detailed three-dimensional image of the breast. This provides radiologists with comprehensive information to help them evaluate breast tissue.
What patients appreciate:
No radiation — the scan uses sound waves instead of X-rays.
No breast compression — the breast rests naturally in a warm water bath during the exam.
True 3D imaging — detailed images are created from information gathered around the entire breast.
Comfortable experience — the exam is quiet, open, and doesn't require contrast dye.
Who is this scan for?
Women, ages 18 and up
Women with dense breast tissue
Women with breast implants
Self-referred clients — No physician referral required
Self-pay clients — No insurance required
Anyone who received an unclear or alarming mammogram result and wants more clarity
The evidence behind it
QTscan® isn’t new or untested — it’s the product of years of clinical research. In patient experience studies, women who’d already had a mammogram and then tried QTscan® reported feeling more comfortable, more confident, and more likely to recommend it to the women in their lives. In independent reader studies, QTscan® has also shown fewer unnecessary callbacks for findings that turned out to be nothing to worry about. And the underlying technology has been supported by more than $18 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health — the same body that funds much of the country’s cancer research. As a self-pay patient, you deserve to know you're investing in something backed by real science, not just a new machine.
Why it matters: Dense breast tissue
If you have dense breast tissue, this is for you. Roughly 40–50% of women have dense breast tissue — and dense tissue can make it harder for a traditional mammogram to produce a clear picture. That ambiguity is often what leads to a callback for a biopsy, even when nothing is actually wrong. QTscan® was designed to provide detailed three-dimensional images of dense breast tissue, giving radiologists additional information when evaluating the breast.
Comfortable for women with breast implants
If you have breast implants, you already know that compression-based mammography can be uncomfortable — and it carries a real risk of implant rupture. QTscan® uses no compression at all, making it a comfortable option for women with implants who haven't had a good imaging choice until now.
More clarity, fewer questions
Receiving an unclear mammogram result can be stressful. In some cases, women may be asked to return for additional imaging or undergo a biopsy to better understand an area of concern. QTscan® creates detailed three-dimensional images of the breast using sound waves instead of X-rays. By providing radiologists with additional information about breast tissue, the QTscan may help support more informed discussions about the next steps in your care. Every woman's situation is unique, and imaging is just one part of the diagnostic process. If additional testing is recommended, your healthcare provider will help determine the most appropriate course of action.
Curious how QTscan® actually “sees” inside the breast? Here’s the short version, in plain language.
A 3D sound “map” of your breast tissue
QTscan® is built on a technology called acoustic CT. Rather than bouncing sound waves off tissue like a standard ultrasound, the scanner sends sound waves all the way through the breast from many angles at once and measures how fast that sound travels through different areas. Dense tissue, fluid filled cysts, and solid masses each affect the speed of sound differently — almost like a fingerprint — which helps build a detailed, three-dimensional picture radiologists can use to tell tissue types apart.
Consistent, repeatable results
Because the scan is fully automated, your results don’t depend on who’s operating the machine that day or how firmly a probe is held — a common variable with handheld ultrasound. That consistency makes it easier to compare your images from one visit to the next.
A supplemental option, not a replacement
Independent research on this technology has explored how it performs alongside mammography for women with dense breast tissue, and how its images compare to breast MRI for select findings — without the cost, wait times, or contrast injection MRI requires. As always, QTscan® is intended to be used together with your regular mammogram and the guidance of your healthcare provider, not in place of either.
FDA-cleared technology
The QT Scanner uses sound waves — not radiation — to build a detailed 3D breast tissue image. You'll lie comfortably while it captures those images without compression, contrast dye, or ionizing radiation. QTscan® is FDA-cleared as a supplemental screening tool, giving women an extra layer of clarity and comfort alongside their regular mammogram.
At a glance:
Comfortable — Pain-free breast compression.
Radiation-Free — Uses sound waves instead of radiation.
Simple — No needles or contrast dye.
Convenient — Each breast takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes to scan.