Digital Mammography Image Acquisition Technology

摘要

Mammography has been performed for many years relying solely on the use of screenfilm technology for image capture and the developed film for display of images. Until recently, this has been the only available technology for image capture and display in mammography. The success of this approach to the early detection of breast cancer cannot be overemphasized, and screen-film systems can deliver spatial resolution of approximately 16-20 line pairs per millimeter (lp/mm) with good contrast. In recent years, advances in screen and film technology and in film-processing techniques have contributed to substantial improvements in mammographic image quality. The screen-film technique is well established for initial detection and subsequent follow-up of a suspicious area. Screen-film technology is also unsurpassed in the detection and characterization of subtle microcalcifications; however, its ability to image low-contrast features, such as masses and architectural distortions, is susceptible to several factors, including proper exposure and film-processing conditions. Depiction of subtle soft-tissue abnormalities can be particularly challenging in the presence of dense glandular tissue.