© MXISystems - Applications: Mammography

Mammography, as currently practiced, suffers from less than stellar diagnostic accuracy. Accuracy in many examinations suffers, not because of the lack of effort nor ability of the radiologist, but because of inherent problems in the X-ray beam, the detectors and the information collected during the exam.

But now, with Athena not only is there a significantly lower radiation dose, but mammograms can also be performed in 3-D with greater spatial resolution and the ability to employ Computer Assisted Diagnosis to improve detection of abnormalities. And, best of all, exams can be performed without compression, making mammography more comfortable and more accurately reproducible on a yearly basis.

In this comparison of abnormalities in a phantom breast, the detailed image on the left was produced using monochromatic X-rays and is viewable in full 3-D. The traditional, 2-D image on the right is not only less informative, but also required significantly more radiation to produce. Circles indicate key differences between the images.