DR Systems features digital mammo capabilities
DR Systems demonstrated digital mammography integration with its Unity RIS/PACS at the 2008 Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) conference in Seattle last month.
The company noted that digital mammography is rapidly becoming the mammography technology of choice as imaging centers replace legacy analog equipment with digital mammography machines. Many early adopters of the technology, according to the company, purchased dedicated standalone workstations on which only digital mammograms can be read.
DR Systems’ integrated solution avoids the problems of reading and archiving digital mammograms on a standalone mammography workstation, by tightly integrating digital mammograms with its PACS. The company said its approach saves capital costs and floor space in the radiology department, and better leverages the institution's investment in its PACS, as well as enabling more efficient and productive reading of digital mammography exams.
The firm said its integrated mammography application allows a radiologist to select any exam in any digitized modality, including MRIs and all prior mammograms via its PACS. Those exams can be immediately pulled up for comparison with the current mammogram.
Other advantages of the integrated solution include compatibility with mammography computer-aided detection (CAD); access to complete biopsy reports, with workflow to promote radiology-pathology correlation and display of pathology images; the capability to leverage referring physicians' web access to all radiology exams and results; Mammography Quality Standards Act outcome audits for all modalities and all biopsies; and access to DR Systems’ technology, such as image shuffling and pixel tracking. Image shuffling and pixel tracking are display tools that help radiologists quickly perceive changes between different images, such as current versus prior exams or pre-contrast versus post-contrast images, the company said.
The company reported that 50 facilities in the United States have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, DR Systems' integration of PACS and digital mammography.
The company noted that digital mammography is rapidly becoming the mammography technology of choice as imaging centers replace legacy analog equipment with digital mammography machines. Many early adopters of the technology, according to the company, purchased dedicated standalone workstations on which only digital mammograms can be read.
DR Systems’ integrated solution avoids the problems of reading and archiving digital mammograms on a standalone mammography workstation, by tightly integrating digital mammograms with its PACS. The company said its approach saves capital costs and floor space in the radiology department, and better leverages the institution's investment in its PACS, as well as enabling more efficient and productive reading of digital mammography exams.
The firm said its integrated mammography application allows a radiologist to select any exam in any digitized modality, including MRIs and all prior mammograms via its PACS. Those exams can be immediately pulled up for comparison with the current mammogram.
Other advantages of the integrated solution include compatibility with mammography computer-aided detection (CAD); access to complete biopsy reports, with workflow to promote radiology-pathology correlation and display of pathology images; the capability to leverage referring physicians' web access to all radiology exams and results; Mammography Quality Standards Act outcome audits for all modalities and all biopsies; and access to DR Systems’ technology, such as image shuffling and pixel tracking. Image shuffling and pixel tracking are display tools that help radiologists quickly perceive changes between different images, such as current versus prior exams or pre-contrast versus post-contrast images, the company said.
The company reported that 50 facilities in the United States have adopted, or are in the process of adopting, DR Systems' integration of PACS and digital mammography.