Royal Philips Electronics along with Smit Mobile Equipment has introduced MicroDose, a new Philips full-field digital mammography (FFDM) solution.

The device is specifically adapted to the requirements of patients and healthcare providers in the Middle East, the company said.

The unit was installed in the company’s second mobile breast cancer screening vehicle, which was displayed at the recently concluded Arab Health 2012 show, a statement from the company said.

The occurrence of breast cancer is prevalent in the Middle East. Studies have shown that in Saudi Arabia, over 20 percent of total cancer cases are breast cancer. The education of the need for preventative screening is growing, and medical professionals in the region are constantly searching for new ways to cope with the increasing need for early diagnosis of the disease.

In line with this initiative and as part of its commitment to women’s health and preventative care, Philips has developed the ‘SimplyHealthy Women’ campaign that entails different initiatives, including the MicroDose mammography unit touring the region, performing breast screenings for early detection.

Diederik Zeven, general manager of Philips Healthcare, Middle East, said: „Mammography is the primary tool used to aid in the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. Philips is revolutionising mammography by providing a more comfortable, relaxed and faster mammogram experience, with lower radiation exposure. MicroDose offers clinicians the ability to deliver high-quality breast images at up to a 50 per cent reduction in dose as compared to other FFDM systems, without compromising clinical image quality.”

Studies report clinicians using a significantly lower average radiation dose with the MicroDose solution than with other full FFDM systems, he said.

“MicroDose is the only mammography system that uses X-ray photon-counting technology. Similar to light-emitting diode (LED) lighting which uses less wattage than traditional incandescent bulbs while providing high light output, the Philips MicroDose patented photon-counting detector utilises less radiation while delivering excellent image quality. MicroDose is also designed to offer a less stressful mammography experience by providing curved support,“ Zeven added.

It addresses busy case volume by helping medical professionals perform as many as 15 four-image examinations per hour.

“The robustness of the detector combined with features such as low dose, patient comfort, speed and image quality, make MicroDose Mammography the ideal solution for the mobile mammo unit,” Zeven said.

Smit Mobile Equipment is part of the Oshkosh Corporation and is a leader in mobile medical diagnostic units, mobile hospitals and mobile clinics. – TradeArabia News Service