Canadians can avail themselves of Carestream’s CR mammo. Source: Carestream Health

Carestream Health Wednesday received regulatory approval from Health Canada for the mammography feature offered with its new Kodak Directview Classic and Elite CR systems.

Around November of last year, Carestream received Canadian approval to sell its Elite and Classic CRs as general radiology devices. The recent approval is for the two CRs with the mammo feature, which will allow Canadian healthcare facilities to perform mammography exams with the CR systems.

Stephen Archer, director of worldwide marketing, mammography solutions at Carestream, told Health Imaging News that the smaller clinics in Canada and/or those organizations that undertake mammography screening in low density populations will most likely benefit from adopting the technologies.

“With relatively low levels of mammography screening in one place, this might be an ideal solution,” Archer said. “Since the Kodak CRs can be used for general radiology and for mammography, they can be used in clinics or small hospitals that might not be able to justify a single dedicated mammography device.”

The Kodak Directview CR mammography feature includes: two-up image printing aligned with the narrow chest wall; support for interfaces that expedite the exchange of image information with other vendors’ digital mammography and RIS/PACS systems; and reduction of digital artifacts at the skin line, according to Carestream.

“Historically, mammography has been done using film, and indeed, quite a lot is still done with film,” Archer noted. “Now, people are turning to digital mammography, not necessarily for higher quality images, but for workflow improvements and convenience, to bring a whole new level to workflow that ultimately, improves patient care.”

Carestream has applied for FDA approval of the CR mammography feature and is in ongoing talks with the FDA at the present time, Archer said.