FDA Clears Siemens Mammography System
Siemens Healthcare has announced that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition, which lowers patient radiation dose up to 30 percent without compromising image quality. The MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition lowers dose by replacing the standard scatter radiation grid with a new algorithm for progressive image reconstruction. Capable of identifying scatter-causing structures and calculating a corrected image, this new algorithm potentially enables complete use of primary radiation so physicians can achieve high-quality images using less dose. The MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition demonstrates Siemens’ innovation and competitiveness – two components of the Healthcare Sector’s Agenda 2013 two-year global initiative.
In digital X-ray breast imaging, radiation passes through the examined breast to a detector. Primary radiation supplies the information needed to provide the X-ray image, while scattered radiation is absorbed by special grids positioned between the breast and the detector. Unfortunately, since these scatter grids also absorb a portion of the all-important primary radiation, physicians must utilize a higher dose to obtain images of desired quality. The ability to minimize patient dose is important, as women are encouraged to undergo regular mammography screening.
Siemens’ new reconstruction algorithm for the MAMMOMAT Inspiration system – known as Prime (Progressive Reconstruction, Intelligently Minimizing Exposure) –eliminates the need for the scatter radiation grid of conventional mammography systems. The Prime algorithm corrects the scattered radiation by identifying scatter-causing structures and recalculating the image, leaving intact the primary radiation upon which radiologists rely. For this reason, the design of the MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition obviates the need for a grid, and lower patient doses are sufficient to generate high-quality breast images. The grid-free imaging technology of the MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition reduces dose up to 30 percent compared to its predecessor model, depending on the thickness of the patient’s breast tissue.
The MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition is based on the modular MAMMOMAT Inspiration platform for screening, diagnostics, and biopsy, which has been used by hospitals and physicians offices since 2007.
Launched in November 2011, Agenda 2013 is the initiative of the Siemens Healthcare Sector to further strengthen its innovative power and competitiveness. Specific measures, which will be implemented by the end of 2013, have been defined in four fields of action: innovation, competitiveness, regional footprint, and people development.
The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens offers its customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source – from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 51,000 employees worldwide and operates around the world. In fiscal year 2012 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 13.6 billion euros and profit of around 1.8 billion euros. For further information please visit: www.siemens.com/healthcare.