CAD tools help compare prior and current mammograms

The computer-aided detection firm R2 Technology has teamed with Swedish workstation leader Sectra to produce a "CAD-intelligent" system that optimizes the presentation of CAD information on mammographic images. The companies jointly launched the Citra mammography applications suite at the RSNA meeting.

Citra includes software tools such as RightSize Optimized Temporal Comparison, which automatically and optimally scales mammograms to the display window, sizing the previous mammogram with the current image. It can scale images obtained from full-field digital mammography systems that have different detector sizes and acquisition resolutions, compare prior digitized films using R2's DigitalNow software with current digital mammography images, and reconcile two sets of images that were acquired with different compression paddles.

RightSize and other software products in the Citra release have been designed to work with the Sectra IDS5/mx.net multimodality breast imaging workstation and PACS, as well as the R2 ImageChecker mammography CAD system. The package of software applications is also compatible with full-field digital mammography systems approved by the FDA, including those from GE Healthcare, Hologic, and Siemens Medical Solutions.

Citra is currently available only on the Sectra workstation. Over time, however, the components will migrate to other workstations, according to the company.