MAMMOMAT Inspiration PRIME Edition Mammography System FDA Cleared

The FDA has give Siemens clearance to bring its MAMMOMAT Inspiration PRIME Edition mammography system to the U.S.

The device was designed to reduce patient radiation exposure by as much as 30% compared to conventional mammography systems thanks to progressive image reconstruction software replacing a scatter radiation grid. The software is able to detect regions that cause X-ray scatter, correct for it, and produce an image that only uses primary radiation as the source.

From Siemens:

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.