Siemens Healthineers has raised the curtain on two new imaging systems, each starting on opposite sides of the Atlantic, including a new mammogram machine that it says can complete a 3D breast cancer scan in about five seconds..
The company described the Mammomat B.brilliant as the first to feature its PlatinumTomo system, which combines a new, wide-angle X-ray tube and detector with artificial intelligence-powered image reconstruction software.
Siemens Healthineers also said the scanner is its first mammography machine equipped with flying focal spot technology, previously used in CT scanning, to help counter the blurring that can come as the X-ray tube quickly rotates to capture a three-dimensional image of the breast.
Unveiled at the annual congress of the European Society of Breast Imaging in Valencia, Spain, the company said the Mammomat’s acquisition speed is about 35% faster compared to other systems. The system has already been in use in a hospital in Belgium; it is not yet cleared for use in the U.S.
But across the pond, Siemens Healthineers has received an FDA green light for its Magnetom Viato.Mobile—a 1.5T MRI that’s designed to fit within a semi-truck trailer and weighs in at a comparatively slimmer 5 tons.
According to the company, the 70-cm bore system offers the same imaging performance as its larger, stationary siblings—as well as their AI reconstruction and patient-specific capabilities—but without the typical infrastructure requirements, such as a shielded room. It can be used as a traveling MRI scanner or parked at a facility for longer-term use.