by
Kathy Mahdoubi, Senior Correspondent | December 29, 2009
Whether inside the hospital MRI suite or in the mobile trailer, Aurora Imaging's 1.5 Tesla Dedicated Breast MRI System is specifically engineered to image breast anatomy. All functional components of the system, from the AuroraCAD breast imaging software to the treatment couch, are designed with breast imaging in mind.
Aurora Imaging offers proprietary breast-dedicated gradient coils, and RF coils are built into the treatment couch, which is ergonomically contoured to the female body. The system features a 64-cm gantry and a weight capacity of 450 lbs. Breast imaging is performed while patients lie face down, their heads resting on a massage-table-like cushion.
Imaging techniques unique to the system include RODEO, which stands for Rotating Delivery of Excitation Off Resonance breast MRI. This technique is geared toward fatty and normal ductal tissue suppression, which promotes better detection of breast lesions.
Breast MRI is not intended to replace mammography, said Cheng, but to complement it and add a level of sensitivity that is unique to breast imaging.
"I think MRI provides higher sensitivity, and specificity will continue to improve," said Cheng. When asked about the emergence of PEM - positron emission mammography, the CEO said it is a promising technique, but that it had limitations as a standalone modality and required more anatomical data from MRI or CT imaging studies.
For more from Olivia Cheng regarding the USPSTF's proposed recommendations for mammography screening, check out the upcoming Healthcare Chronicles guest column in the January 2010 issue of DOTmed Business News.
Lindsay Grystar contributed to this report.Back to HCB News
