Mammography and Interventional Radiology Solutions Launched at ECR

March 7, 2011 – Two new imaging solutions for mammography and interventional radiology were announced at the 2011 European Congress of Radiology (ECR). Mammo PlusViewCAD, from ContextVision, addresses current limitations of X-ray image diagnosis for the detection of breast cancer. GOPView iRVUltra helps achieve superior, real-time images with the ability for dose reduction during interventional fluoroscopy procedures.

Routine mammographic screening is an accepted standard for the early detection of breast cancer. However, as many as one in five cancers are overlooked by the radiologist because the signs on the mammogram may be extremely subtle. With the help of computer-aided detection (CAD) systems, the mammographic image is used to evaluate a patient with abnormal clinical findings and alert the radiologist to the need for further analysis. A study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology found that the use of CAD systems significantly improved the detection of breast cancer by increasing radiologist sensitivity by 21.2 percent.

The Mammo PlusViewCAD is the only product available on the market to provide original equipment manufacturers (OEM) with a configurable and cost-effective mammography viewing workstation with CAD functionality. It can be set up as a stand-alone system or integrated with a picture archiving and communications system (PACS) system and analyzes images and generates CAD marks to highlight suspicious areas, such as microcalcification clusters and masses. The C-CAD by ContextVision is easily integrated into various PACS systems from other vendors, providing diversified solutions for physicians.

“Mammography images can be difficult to read at times, and radiologists struggle not to overlook breast cancers. The integrated CAD technology in the Mammo PlusViewCAD provides radiologists with a second set of eyes before they make their decision, alerting them to areas that may require more attention and therefore ensuring that any abnormalities in breast tissue are evaluated appropriately,” said Anita Tollstadius, CEO of ContextVision.

GOPView iRVUltra is a real-time image enhancement filter. The company’s algorithm can define the movements between the images, frame by frame, pixel by pixel, to find structures and orientation for interventional procedures in real-time and without time gaps.

“Interventional radiologists always look to strike an ideal balance between the required image quality and the radiation dose for any given procedure,” Tollstadius said. “As a result, they rely heavily on the newest advancements in image quality enhancement and dose reduction technologies. Generally, it takes an increased dose to enhance the image quality. With the GOPView iRVUltra, radiologists no longer have to compromise, as superior image quality can be achieved despite low-dose images.”

For more information: www.contextvision.se