Abstract
A semi-automated prototype compression paddle system has been designed to enable co-registered acquisition of tomosynthesis and 3D breast ultrasound images. The system retrofits to a digital mammography system (Senographe 2000D, GE Medical Systems). A high frequency, linear, multirow transducer is positioned in mechanical alignment above the paddle. The two-dimensional transducer motion in a plane above the digital mammography detector is controlled and synchronized through dedicated software that resides on a stand-alone computer, that also interfaces with a LOGIQ700 ultrasound system (GE Medical Systems). Following tomosynthesis or standard projection digital mammography exposure, a full-breast ultrasound scan is acquired with multiple linear sweeps of the transducer positioned above the compressed breast. The digital mammograms and sonograms are thus acquired with the same. views, of the breast, as determined by mechanical design. The images are then transformed into a common coordinate system and reformatted views in orthogonal or oblique planes may be visualized in various ways to compare regions of interest on the two sets of images for combined evaluation. Initial results on 2D ad 3D mammograms combined with 3D ultrasound for anthropomorphic breast phantoms and 2D mammograms combined with 3D ultrasound for patients demonstrate promising potential of this system towards improved breast imaging.