Carestream Health's new premium SNP-M1 Screens, employing structured needle phosphor technology, are helping to improve diagnosis at the DIRANUK Mammography Screening Centre located at Bielefeld, Germany. The Centre undertakes around 27,000 examinations annually.
The screens are delivering excellent image quality for early detection of breast carcinoma at low dose. Mammograms are sharp with high contrast and very little noise and highlight micro calcifications, lesions and spicules with a high level of detail.
These improvements are very helpful to Dr. Ulrike Meyer-Johann in her everyday diagnostic work. "Better definition and the much improved contrast to noise ratio as compared to earlier screens greatly enhance the detection of micro-calcifications and the detailed discrimination of architectural abnormalities," she said. "Spiculated opacities are also much easier to detect."
The science behind the improved screens lies in the needle-shaped phosphor crystals, which are oriented at 90 degrees to the screen surface. They reduce the spread of light within the screen and produce a more uniform screen structure compared to traditional powder based phosphors. The high density of the needle phosphor ensures a very high level of X-ray absorption so that in comparison to conventional imaging screens, it is possible to use a much reduced dose.
"In studies conducted prior to introducing needle phosphor technologies, we have demonstrated that there is a significantly reduced noise level in the signal, which results in improved diagnostic detail," said Tony Graule, European Sales and Development Manager, Carestream Health. "We can see the sort of micro calcifications that are sometimes missed in conventional mammography systems. That means a more secure diagnosis, a more efficient screening programme with fewer recalls and better productivity."
The new SNP-M1 screens have been in use for digital mammography at DIRANUK since the middle of 2010. The image data is digitised using the DIRECTVIEW CR 975 system and then a diagnosis is made via a CARESTREAM PACS mammography workstation with CAD software. "Thanks to PACS there is a massive gain in speed and processing options. I cannot imagine how we would ever have managed this in the same time by analogue means", said Dr. Ulrike Meyer-Johann. "For screening we depend on the speedy availability of images; as far as we are concerned uploading and opening the files can't be too quick. The PACS system very rapidly provides us with a display on the monitor of both the current images and corresponding comparison images."
Radiologists using the mammography workstation can utilise a number of tools that facilitate diagnosis, including the integration of images and a number of viewing options. Just about everything needed for detailed analysis is provided by the magnifying glass and intelligent zoom (1:1 imaging) functions, and at the touch of a button radiologists can select their preferred display protocol. Images and spiculated opacities can be highlighted to assist surgeons when operating and in many cases, inverting the images will allow a more detailed view of micro calcifications. "The CAD software fulfills a function that is very important for us. This software marks important and conspicuous areas on the X-rays and acts as a third diagnostician for us," added Dr. Ulrike Meyer-Johann.
The benefits of digital mammography at DIRANUK are plain to see. The improved visualisation of micro calcifications and architectural abnormalities has led to an increase in the detection of small carcinomas and pre-cancers. The use of the PACS mammography workstation allows digital images, including preview images, to be accessed quickly and enables parallel diagnosis at different locations. Dr. Ulrike Meyer-Johann adds, "This allows us to manage time efficiently, and the many processing and imaging options provide us with a wide range of presentation options for interdisciplinary conferences."
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About Carestream Health
Carestream Health is a worldwide provider of dental and medical imaging systems and healthcare IT solutions; molecular imaging systems for life science research and drug discovery/development; x-ray film and digital x-ray systems for non-destructive testing; and advanced materials for the precision films and electronics markets.