by
Jean B. Grillo, Reporter | October 30, 2007
Researcher prepares ceramic
glass that formed the basis
for radiographic imaging
plates.
Argonne, Ill.- A team of U.S. and German scientists have developed a new, ultra-high resolution mammography system that detects cancerous tumors with higher-quality images, more efficient radiation and at a lower cost than previous models.
The system uses a glass-ceramic plate, which is transparent to lessen light scattering, and a readout device designed specifically to maximize the efficiency of the glass-ceramic material. The plates, made from a photo-stimulated phosphor, have many advantages over traditional photographic film and scintillating screens, including re-usability, wide dynamic range and direct digitalization.
Despite declining deaths from the disease since 1990, breast cancer still kills 40,000 women annually. "Better imaging technology is crucial in lowering deaths and increasing early diagnosis and prevention," says Jacqueline Johnson, a materials scientist at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory. Johnson, in collaboration with Rick Lubinsky from New York and Stefan Schweizer from Germany, honed computer radiography technology to produce the Ultra High Resolution Mammography System, recently honored with an R&D100 Award.
The image shows that
the phosphor-based
image provides better
detail at all
exposure levels.
While flat-panel-based digital radiography (DR) technology has begun to surpass computer radiography (CR) in some leading research hospitals, DR systems are much more expensive and each system per room requires a separate DR detector.
Argonne's CR system, according to Ms. Johnson, "benefits the average hospital by providing a high-resolution system that enables early diagnosis of breast cancer but is affordable."
Argonne's system achieves as good or better resolution than screen or film, and it has the potential to greatly increase the use of CR for mammography. The technology also reduces the amount of chemicals used and the production of waste, which makes the system attractive for other applications, including inspection of micro-electronic parts or X-ray diffraction of biological materials.
About Argonne National Laboratory
