Full-Field Digital Mammography System Provides More Efficient Workflow with Patient-Friendly Environment

A full-field digital mammography system offers digital screening and diagnostic mammography, stereotactic biopsy, and upgrade capability to future technologies all in one system.

Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany) conducted customer workshops around the world, in which radiologists, radiology technologists and physicists contributed details and suggestions on their vision for a next generation digital mammography system. "The Mammomat Inspiration is a direct result of that customer feedback so it was truly inspired by them,” said Gerhard Schmiedel, vice president, X-ray products, Siemens Healthcare. "The system was designed to help provide a more pleasant examination environment for patients, more efficient workflow for technologists, and excellent image quality for physicians.”

The next-generation mammography system should facilitate a more pleasant, comfortable patient experience. With its unique MoodLight light-emitting diode (LED) light panel, the system immediately helps provide a warmer environment by illuminating soft, pastel colors that can change dynamically throughout the day or can be set on one color that best matches the environment. The material composition of the paddles also helps provide a warm, smooth feeling for patients during a mammogram.

To match breast density and thickness, the Inspiration offers three anode/ filter combinations: Mo/Mo, Mo/Rh, and W/Rh. The Opdose feature of the Inspiration automatically selects the appropriate anode/filter combination and the lowest radiation dose for individual breast characteristics. Inspiration's Opcomp function applies compression only as long as the patient's breast is soft and pliable stopping at the point of optimal compression.

For mammography technologists, the Inspiration's one-click-to-image functionality automatically opens the patient scheduler after an exam is finalized, so that selecting the next patient is the only mouse click needed. With its isocentric rotation, the tube head instantly goes from the cranio-caudal to the mediolateral-oblique position with one touch of a button. The operator interface of the syngo-based acquisition workstation (AWS) includes the generator console--meaning less equipment and a smaller footprint. The detector produces a preview image in only seconds after X-ray exposure, allowing users to quickly evaluate the quality of positioning and proceed with the next exam.

In a screening environment, the ability to detect small and low contrast objects is mandatory. For this reason, the system provides an amorphous selenium (aSe) detector--directly converting X-ray energy into an electric charge. With a new AEC algorithm, dose calculation has been further optimized: the system measures and selects exposure parameters based on the individual breast size and composition. This adaptive AEC provides full flexibility in terms of breast positioning. The new OpView 2 image processing software is specially designed for digital mammography to produce outstanding image quality. New algorithms provide excellent visibility of the breast border as well as structures in dense tissue.

Siemens' AWS and syngo MammoReport allows breast image viewing from multiple modalities all on one screen. Through Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and radiology information system (RIS) compatibility, patient data are readily stored in existing clinical archives. With Siemens Remote Service, service time gaps are shortened or downtime can be eliminated. Through constant monitoring, deviating parameters are detected before problems occur.

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