Siemens Healthcare has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for a digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) add-on option to its Mammomat Inspiration digital mammography platform.
Siemens is now the third vendor able to market DBT technology in the U.S., joining Hologic's Selenia Dimensions system and GE Healthcare's SenoClaire DBT system. Available for Mammomat Inspiration and Mammomat Inspiration Prime Edition, the breast tomosynthesis option has been used since 2009 in Europe, Asia, and South America, according to the vendor.
In tomosynthesis mode, Mammomat Inspiration's x-ray tube rotates in a circular motion around the breast, acquiring an image every 2° while moving through an angular range of 50°. Three-dimensional DBT images are reconstructed from the resulting 25 projections, according to the firm.
Siemens said that in a recent study involving 22 readers with a broad range of experience, all readers achieved better accuracy in detecting and diagnosing cancers when using DBT as an adjunct to full-field digital mammography.
