Philips unveiled its first dedicated breast ultrasound solution, combining screening, elastography, precision biopsy and visual mapping tools.
The “all-in-one” solution is available with the Philips EPIQ and Affiniti ultrasound systems, and has received both a CE mark and FDA 510(k) clearance.
“Ultrasound plays an increasingly important role in breast cancer screening and assessment, helping to detect lesions that mammography alone may not find,” said Jeff Cohen, Philips’ business leader for general ultrasound imaging.
The follow-up procedure can assist in the detection of breast cancers, Philips said, especially in women with dense tissue that may hide smaller lesions from x-ray mammography. The National Cancer Institute estimates that about 43% of women between the ages of 40 and 74 have extremely dense breast tissue.
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Philips’ solution also includes automated visual mapping and annotation software for screening a person’s anatomy with minimal user interaction, to help provide full coverage of the breast during the acquisition procedure. Along with a specially designed mattress and tabletop field generator, the company’s new PureWave eL18-4 ultrabroadband linear array transducer is linked with integrated electromagnetic tracking coils to provide high-detail resolution and an extended depth of field when screening technically challenging patients. In addition, new precision biopsy capabilities help reduce blind zones and enhance the display of the needle, allowing clinicians to perform targeted biopsies with fewer passes, Philips said.
Meanwhile, the device’s elastography hardware helps provide more information on the stiffness of breast tissue, using both strain and shear wave techniques, alongside its ElastQ Imaging technology that creates a color-coded map of the results. The combined device can help reduce total exam time and eliminate the need for changing rooms or equipment, or avoid having to schedule multiple appointments, the company said.