Clinical evaluation of a photon-counting tomosynthesis mammography system

Digital breast tomosynthesis promises solutions to many of the problems currently associated with projection mammography, including elimination of artifactual densities from the superposition of normal tissues and increasing the conspicuity of true lesions that would otherwise be masked by superimposed normal tissue. We have investigated the performance of a novel tomosynthesis system in a clinical setup. The novel system uses 48 photon counting, orientation sensitive, linear detectors which are precisely aligned with the focal spot of the x-ray source. The x-ray source and the digital detectors are scanned in a continuous motion across the patient; each linear detector collecting an image at a distinct angle. The results from an assessment of image quality and the initial clinical trial of this device are presented. Initial results provide anecdotal evidence supporting the superiority of tomosynthesis over projection mammography.