Kodak Recognized for Breast Cancer CR Imaging

Frost & Sullivan (Palo Alto, CA, USA), an international growth consultancy company, announced that Eastman Kodak Co. (Rochester, NY, USA) has received the 2006 Award for Excellence in Technology in recognition of Kodak's role in advancing the use of computed radiography (CR) for breast cancer detection.

Mammography image quality has become very important for clinicians to understand pathologic processes of the disease, considering the increasing levels of breast cancer. The affordability and versatility of computed CR provides a practical entry into digital mammography and Kodak has installed hundreds of CR systems with its mammography feature outside the United States since its launch in 2005.

"The Kodak DirectView CR mammography feature for CR 850/950/975 systems enables mammography images to be captured digitally with Kodak's CR systems while continuing to use these systems for general radiography exams,” said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Nivedithaa Gopaalakrishnan. "This is reflective of Kodak's commitment to maintain its leadership in mammography imaging as a result of continually bringing new products to market to improve the health of women worldwide.”

Kodak's CR system provides wide exposure leeway that helps in capturing high quality images in single shots, thereby speeding up the process and improving operational efficiency. "The system's spatial resolution provides a detailed representation of tissue, microcalcification and septations in the breast, up to a level of nine to 10 line pairs per millimeter,” stated Ms. Gopaalakrishnan. "This enables physicians to locate changes in the individual calculi and analyze suspect lesions with a resolution quality that equals analog quality.”

For early detection of microcalcifications, high-contrast resolution is vital, particularly in cases of denser glandular parenchyma. The system's ability for higher resolution allows clinicians to examine fine septations, nodular changes, and calculi, which is not possible by traditional imaging.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents the Excellence in Technology Award to a company that has pioneered the development and introduction of an innovative technology into the market; a technology that has either impacted or has the potential to impact several market sectors.



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