Bennett narrows digital mammography gap

Bennett X-Ray has trailedFischer and Lorad in commercializing a digital spot mammographyproduct, but the Copiague, NY, firm plans to leapfrog the competitionat next week's meeting. Bennett has made strides growing its digitaltechnology thanks to a high-tech infusion from the aerospace industry,according to director of sales and marketing Grady Miars.

Bennett received Food and Drug Administration clearance forits M-DSI digital spot mammography system this month (SCAN 11/9/94).M-DSI retrofits to Bennett's Contour and MF-150 mammography devicesand is based on charge-coupled device (CCD) and fiber-optic couplingtechnology.

Bennett has closed the gap with Fischer and Lorad in developinga full-breast digital system, Miars said. Bennett's work-in-progressdevice will not be a scanning-type system but rather will acquirean image of the entire breast in one exposure. Like M-DSI, thesystem is based on CCD technology and will do full-breast digitalexams in the same kV range as traditional mammography exams. Thiswill improve visualization of subtle changes in breast tissue,he said.

Bennett developed the system in cooperation with the Long Islandaerospace firm Northrop Grumman. Earlier this year Bennett acquiredNorthrop Grumman's optical physics department and brought itsengineers to work in-house on mammography-related projects, Miarssaid.

Bennett will also display its work in developing a fiber-opticcommunications network for transmitting digitized mammographyimages to remote sites. The company believes that fiber-optictechnology can transmit data quickly enough to make teleradiologyfor mammography a reality.