Development Of A Digital Mammography System

Abstract

A digital breast imaging system is under development to provide improved detectability of breast cancer. In previous work, the limitations of screen-film mammography were studied using both theoretical and experimental techniques. Important limitations were found in both the acquisition and the display components of imaging. These have been addressed in the design of a scanned-projection digital mammography system. A high resolution x-ray image intensifier (XRII), optically coupled to a self-scanned linear photodiode array, is used to record the image. Pre- and post-patient collimation virtually eliminates scattered radiation and veiling glare of the XRII with only a 20% increase in dose due to penumbra. Geometric magnification of 1.6 times is employed to achieve limiting spatial resolution of 7 1p/mm. For low-contrast objects as small as 0.1 mm in diameter, the digital system is capable of producing images with higher contrast and signal-to-noise ratio than optimally-exposed conventional film-screen mammography systems. Greater latitude is obtainable on the digital system because of its wide dynamic range and linearity. The slit system is limited due to long image acquisition times, and poor quantum efficiency. This motivated our current work on a slot beam digital mammography system which is based on a fiber-optic x-ray detector. Preliminary results of this system will be presented.