Dose reducing mammography system gets FDA clearance

June 27, 2013 – A mammography system designed to lower patient dose by up to 30% without compromising image quality received 510(k) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance.

Siemens Healthcare’s MAMMOMAT Inspiration Prime Edition is indicated for screening, diagnostics, and biopsy. The system is engineered to lower 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.

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 has been used by hospitals and physicians offices since 2007.

For more information:  www.siemens.com/healthcare and www.appliedradiology.com