St John's Hospital Receives First MAMMOMAT Inspiration In The UK

Main Category: Breast Cancer
Also Included In: Radiology / Nuclear Medicine;  MRI / PET / Ultrasound;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 23 Apr 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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St John's Hospital in Livingston, part of NHS Lothian's University Hospitals Division, has installed the first Siemens new generation full-field digital mammography system in the UK.

Part of the 9 system order via the Scottish Procurement Framework, the MAMMOMAT Inspiration was recently designed with the input of healthcare professionals to create an easy-to-operate and patient-friendly system. Offering quick exposure and display times, the MAMMOMAT Inspiration speeds up patient throughput and provides detailed digital images for diagnosis.

The St John's Hospital installation has replaced an old analogue system, meaning that examination times are now shorter and deliver improved departmental efficiency. The introduction of a digital system has also eliminated the need for processing chemistry and traditional X-ray film. This will deliver cost savings in the long term and has freed up the dark room for conversion into an extra scanning room.

"The system has been positively received by patients as its ergonomic design and compression technology makes it far more comfortable than previous systems," said Clint Heseltine, Radiology Manager at St John's Hospital. "It has also proved a real winner with the mammographers as it is easy to use and offers excellent image manipulation capabilities."

The MAMMOMAT Inspiration features new compression technologies, a paddle design and mood lighting for optimum patient comfort. An X-ray tube with isocentric rotation is simple to operate and adjust according to each patient, ensuring fast workflow. With a new AEC algorithm, dose is calculated according to the individual patient's breast size and tissue type to ensure the lowest possible dose. Fully configurable to future advances in digital mammography including stereotactic biopsy and 3D imaging using tomosynthesis, the system will only require a simple upgrade to offer screening, diagnosis and tomosynthesis on a single digital platform.

The system has been integrated into the existing Picture Archiving & Communication System (PACS) at St John's Hospital ensuring that all digital images are now seamlessly linked and can be accessed in the breast clinic. This has enhanced efficiency across the department as previously hard copies had to be produced and sent along manually.

"It did not take long to get up to speed with the Inspiration as the tools on the Siemens MammoReport workstation are easy to use and manipulate. This has greatly assisted with reporting as it helps to speed up work patterns and make general workflow easier," said Dr. Carolyn Beveridge, Consultant Radiologist at St John's Hospital. "The image quality is very high and is particularly impressive in young, denser breasts, yielding clear images for examination."

"Thanks to the input of healthcare professionals during the design stage of the MAMMOMAT Inspiration, Siemens has been able to offer a full-field digital mammography solution that meets the requirements of the user," said Joe Devine, Regional Sales Manager at Siemens. "This has resulted in a system that is not only simple to operate, but also produces high quality images in a more comfortable environment for the patient."

The system will be complemented by a unique MoodLight feature that emits soothing colours into the patient examination area. These colour tones can be personally selected by the user to change throughout the screening process to promote relaxation.

Siemens Healthcare is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare is the first fully integrated diagnostics company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care - from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2007 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of €9.85 billion, orders of €10.27 billion and group profit of €1.32 billion.

Siemens Healthcare