Philips Healthcare has launched a new package for ultrasound breast imaging that combines hardware and software into a single offering.
The package is available on the company's Epiq and Affiniti ultrasound scanners and combines the firm's PureWave eL18-4 ultrabroadband linear-array transducer with what Philips calls "anatomical intelligence" automated software. The package supports advanced imaging, elastography, screening, and biopsy, and it is Philips first dedicated offering in breast ultrasound.
Philips noted that ultrasound is being used as an adjunctive modality in cases where x-ray mammography is equivocal, such as for women with dense breast tissue. The new package is designed to enable breast centers to conduct ultrasound more efficiently.
The package's anatomical intelligence component is designed to improve the reproducibility of breast ultrasound studies while streamlining workflow and preserving image quality. The component provides visual mapping and annotation of breast anatomy during screening, with minimal user interaction, according to the company.
Among advanced applications, Philips' ElastQ Imaging shear-wave elastography and strain elastography protocols allow clinicians to assess a wide array of breast lesions. By combining both wave methods, ElastQ Imaging offers more definitive information on tissue stiffness in the breast.
The package has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration 510(k) clearance, as well as the CE Mark.
