Palo Alto, CA -- Eastman Kodak Company has received Frost & Sullivan's 2006 Award for Excellence in Technology in recognition of Kodak's role in advancing the use of computed radiography (CR) for breast cancer detection.

Mammography image quality has become extremely vital for physicians to understand the intensity of the disease, considering the rising levels of breast cancer. The affordability and versatility of computed radiography offers a practical entry into digital mammography and Kodak has installed hundreds of CR systems with its mammography feature outside the United States since its launch in 2005.

"The KODAK DIRECTVIEW CR Mammography Feature for CR 850/950/975 Systems enables mammography images to be captured digitally with Kodak's CR systems while continuing to use these systems for general radiography exams," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Nivedithaa Gopaalakrishnan. " This is reflective of Kodak's commitment to maintain its leadership in mammography imaging as a result of continually bringing new products to market to improve the health of women worldwide."


Kodak has successfully submitted two of the three necessary modules to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of its CR system for mammography. The filings are part of Kodak's plan for obtaining regulatory approval in the U.S. and Canada for its CR for mammography feature.
Kodak's CR system offers wide exposure latitude that helps in capturing high quality images in single shots, thereby speeding up the process and improving operational efficiency. The additional functionalities developed offer affordability and versatility, thus allowing healthcare
professionals to venture into digital mammography. "The system's spatial resolution provides a detailed representation of tissue, microcalcification and septations in the breast, up to a level of nine to 10 line pairs per millimeter," states Gopaalakrishnan. "This enables physicians to locate changes in the individual calculi and analyze suspect lesions with a resolution quality that equals analog quality."

For early detection of microcalcifications, high-contrast resolution is crucial, especially in cases of denser glandular parenchyma. The system's ability for higher resolution allows physicians to assess fine septations, nodular changes, and calculi, which is not possible by conventional imaging.

The CR system helps to produce high-resolution scans with a 50-micrometer pixel pitch. The newly available EHR-M screen delivers the highest detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of any KODAK DIRECTVIEW CR Screen. KODAK DIRECTVIEW EVP Software and KODAK Black Surround/ Masking Software provide the necessary quality for mammography.

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