Image courtesy of Barco
November 10, 2015 — Healthcare imaging specialist Barco announced in October that its flagship diagnostic display system, Coronis Uniti, has been clinically validated for multimodality breast imaging. This makes Coronis Uniti the world’s first and only diagnostic display that can be used for both picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and multimodality breast imaging, including breast tomosynthesis, 3-D mammography, breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and breast ultrasound.
The system had previously been cleared for viewing PACS and mammography images, including breast tomosynthesis. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) new indications for use include breast MRI, breast ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound, including vascular and gynecological ultrasound. This enables radiologists to view a host of breast imaging modalities – in color or grayscale, 2-D or 3-D, static or dynamic – on a single display.
The ability to access any image on a single display offers significant benefits, from workflow and clinical perspectives. First of all, it eliminates the need to change workstations to complete patient studies. Additionally, running side-by-side comparisons and image fusions have proven to positively impact diagnostic interpretation. The use of ultrasound in combination with conventional mammography in women with dense breasts, for example, has resulted in better early breast cancer detection.
Differences in the visual appearance of different image types posed additional challenges, which Barco tackled by introducing proprietary technologies to automatically set the proper color and grayscale settings for every image modality – even when viewing them simultaneously on the screen.
Barco also found a way to counteract motion blur when reviewing multi-frame image sequences such as digital breast tomosynthesis, breast ultrasound and breast MRI. Thanks to RapidFrame technology, which provides a high pixel refresh rate, Coronis Uniti enables radiologists to accurately visualize moving and changing images, avoiding loss of detail when scrolling through the 3-D stack and ensuring efficient diagnosis as well as swift workflow.
For more information: www.barco.com
