All-in-one digital mammography
Siemens Medical Solutions reports that the first installations have been completed in France, Germany, Italy and Sweden of its new all-in-one system for digital full-field mammography, named Mammomat Novation.
This new system provides screening, diagnosis, digital biopsy in a single unit, enabled by the ‘Flying Wing’, used in Mammomat Novation’s forerunner, the analogue model Mammomat 3000.
The unit includes the most up-to-date full-field detector technology based on amorphous selenium (a-Se). A photoconductor that directly converts X-rays to electric signals without any intermediate steps prevents scattered light effects that might occur with other technologies and impair the resulting image quality. Siemens Med points out that, in combination with the proven molybdenum/tungsten anode, this direct detector technology yields maximum image quality whilst minimising dose exposure.
A large detector of 24x29cm allows imaging of almost all breast sizes, including the pectoral muscle. A new compression plate enables central positioning of the breast for all projections without readjustment of the X-ray arm. The Opcomp function ensures that the breast is only compressed as long as it is soft and pliable and automatically stops at the point of maximum image quality.
The system has a MammoReportPlus reporting station and dedicated AWS Acquisition Workstation, which is operated via Siemens’ standard syngo user interface, an intuitive software platform suitable for all imaging modalities and systems. MammoReportPlus enables adaptable reporting to meet individual needs, and features ultra-short image loading time: one case with 8 images in under a second. Findings or evaluations previously obtained with other modalities can also be displayed in the shortest possible time.
The firm also points out that it can provide a wide spectrum of individual archiving solutions for its mammography systems.
‘Thanks to a combination of a-Se detector technology and our X-ray tube with a molybdenum/tungsten anode, both image quality and dose exposure reduction achieve an optimum level. The acquisition and reporting stations have been optimised for a smooth and trouble-free workflow.’ said Holger Schmidt, Head of Special Systems at Siemens Medical Solutions in Erlangen, Germany.
01.07.2004
