The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) has developed a radiation-free imaging diagnosis system for breast cancer screening.

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) said on Tuesday that the institute had developed the diagnosis system, which uses radio waves with a frequency of three gigahertz.

The new system allows the detection of a tumor as small as five millimeters, while existing diagnosis systems typically detect only tumors that exceed one to two centimeters.

A KCC official said the new diagnosis system is harmless to humans as it does not use radiation.

The KCC said that it will launch clinical trials with Seoul National University Hospital in July and expects to commercialize the diagnosis system in 2017.