Dear Buyer's Guide Member,
There was a time when full-field digital mammography (FFDM) meant a system based on flat-panel detector technology, either amorphous silicon or amorphous selenium. But recent developments, such as the arrival of computed radiography-based digital mammography, are giving breast-care facilities more flexibility in determining how and when they go digital.
CR-based mammography in particular offers breast facilities an intriguing option. With CR mammography, breast centers don't need to replace their existing screen-film units, making the digital transition more affordable and providing a solution well-suited for remote or low-volume centers.
Currently, only one CR mammography product is available in the U.S. (the FCRm unit from Fujifilm Medical Systems USA of Stamford, CT), but other CR vendors will bring similar systems to the U.S. market once they receive FDA approval. And of course, a number of these products are already available internationally.
New developments are also occurring in the world of flat-panel-based digital mammography. On the horizon is digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), in which a mammography system's gantry head pans across the breast in an arc to acquire multiple slices that can be fused together into a single 3D image. DBT proponents believe the technology will improve the accuracy of digital mammography by enabling clinicians to see around overlapping structures in the breast that might obscure pathology.
While no vendor has yet received regulatory approval for a DBT product (clinical trials are under way), several of the major mammography vendors are adapting their systems to support tomosynthesis once it becomes available. Make sure to inquire about an upgrade path to tomosynthesis if you're in the market for a new FFDM system.
In this edition of the Buyer's Guide Update, you'll find links to both digital and screen-film-based mammography systems. You'll also find listings of mammography workstation software and components.
No Buyer's Guide Update would be complete without one of our handy comparison charts. This time we're highlighting FFDM units currently available for sale in the U.S. from four major vendors. Check it out:
You can even produce a PDF of your results by clicking the Adobe PDF icon at the upper left of every product comparison chart.
Coming up in April, our focus will be on ultrasound. If you're a vendor and would like to update your Buyer's Guide listings, just send an e-mail to [email protected] to get started.
