Siemens to Distribute Breast Ultrasound System Globally

March 26, 2007 – The Ultrasound Division of Siemens Medical Solutions and U-Systems Inc. have entered into an agreement whereby Siemens will distribute U-Systems’ SomoVu automated breast ultrasound system internationally, as Siemens offers a solution to detect cancer in women with dense breast tissue in addition to mammography.
The SomoVu system is a reportedly cost-effective solution that provides automated ultrasound image acquisition of the breast and allows for comprehensive display and review of 3-D breast volumes.
The completely automated system can be used as an adjunct to mammography, focusing primarily on women with dense breast tissue. In a recently published study in The New England Journal of Medicine, Canadian researchers reported that women with significantly dense breast tissue have a risk of breast cancer three to five times
higher than women with fatty breast tissue. Furthermore, dense breast tissue makes the detection of cancer by mammography more difficult.
“Ultrasound is emerging as a critically important breast imaging complement to mammography for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer, particularly for women with dense breast tissue," said Joseph W. Pepper, president and CEO of U-Systems Inc. “The challenge with ultrasound has always been to produce standardized, repeatable images much like mammography has done.”