Hologic previews progress on breast tomosynthesis
Hologic Inc. at RSNA this week previewed add-on hardware and software breast tomosynthesis for its first full field digital breast tomosynthesis research system.
The works-in-progress technology brings the promise of a full volume of data produced at the same radiation dose as a conventional screen-film or digital mammogram.
Breast tomosynthesis allows a series of images in slices of 1 mm or less (usually 11 images over a 30 degree range) to be acquired and reconstructed for 3D viewing. Hologic says the technology has the potential to reduce or eliminate overlapping tissue, which can obscure a breast lesion. Tomosynthesis may also provide improved diagnostic information, with reduced breast compression. The technology will be offered as an add-on to Hologic's Lorad Selenia full-field digital mammography system.
"We believe that breast tomosynthesis is clearly the wave of the future for digital mammography, and Hologic plans to lead the way in development and commercialization of this tremendously exciting new technology," said Jack Cumming, Hologic chairman and CEO. "Although breast tomosynthesis is still in the early phases of research, we have been very pleased with the rate of progress in our program and the high quality of the initial images we have acquired in our research studies. Over the next several months, we plan to extend our research studies to investigate other facets of this technology, the feasibility of reduced breast compression, and utilization of breast tomosynthesis for needle localization and biopsy procedures."
Cumming says an FDA filing is expected in 2004.
The works-in-progress technology brings the promise of a full volume of data produced at the same radiation dose as a conventional screen-film or digital mammogram.
Breast tomosynthesis allows a series of images in slices of 1 mm or less (usually 11 images over a 30 degree range) to be acquired and reconstructed for 3D viewing. Hologic says the technology has the potential to reduce or eliminate overlapping tissue, which can obscure a breast lesion. Tomosynthesis may also provide improved diagnostic information, with reduced breast compression. The technology will be offered as an add-on to Hologic's Lorad Selenia full-field digital mammography system.
"We believe that breast tomosynthesis is clearly the wave of the future for digital mammography, and Hologic plans to lead the way in development and commercialization of this tremendously exciting new technology," said Jack Cumming, Hologic chairman and CEO. "Although breast tomosynthesis is still in the early phases of research, we have been very pleased with the rate of progress in our program and the high quality of the initial images we have acquired in our research studies. Over the next several months, we plan to extend our research studies to investigate other facets of this technology, the feasibility of reduced breast compression, and utilization of breast tomosynthesis for needle localization and biopsy procedures."
Cumming says an FDA filing is expected in 2004.