Combination of digital mammography with semi-automated 3D breast ultrasound.
This paper describes work aimed at combining 3D ultrasound with full-field digital mammography via a semi-automatic prototype ultrasound scanning mechanism attached to the digital mammography system gantry. Initial efforts to obtain high x-ray and ultrasound image quality through a compression paddle are proving successful. Registration between the x-ray mammogram and ultrasound image volumes is quite promising when the breast is stably compressed. This prototype system takes advantage of many synergies between the co-registered digital mammography and pulse-echo ultrasound image data used for breast cancer detection and diagnosis. In addition, innovative combinations of advanced US and X-ray applications are being implemented and tested along with the basic modes. The basic and advanced applications are those that should provide relatively independent information about the breast tissues. Advanced applications include x-ray tomosynthesis, for 3D delineation of mammographic structures, and non-linear elasticity and 3D color flow imaging by ultrasound, for mechanical and physiological information unavailable from conventional, non-contrast x-ray and ultrasound imaging.
GE Global Research, Room KWC524, 1 Research Circle, Niskayuna, NY 12309, USA. kapur@crd.ge.com
Ajay
A
Kapur
Paul L
PL
Carson
Jeffrey
J
Eberhard
Mitchell M
MM
Goodsitt
Kai
K
Thomenius
Murtuza
M
Lokhandwalla
Donald
D
Buckley
Marilyn A
MA
Roubidoux
Mark A
MA
Helvie
Rebecca C
RC
Booi
Gerald L
GL
LeCarpentier
Ramon Q
RQ
Erkamp
Heang-Ping
HP
Chan
J Brian
JB
Fowlkes
Jerry  A
J
Thomas
Cynthia  E
C
Landberg
D000328:Adult; D001940:Breast / Q000473:pathology; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008327:Mammography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D016217:Ultrasonography, Mammary / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D014965:X-Rays