Kodak Shows Enhanced Multi-Modality Mammography Workstation, Latest CAD Software Upgrades

SAN DIEGO, CA, April 27 -- Eastman Kodak Company’s Health Group showed enhancements to its digital mammography portfolio, including its multi-modality KODAK CARESTREAM Mammography Workstation and its KODAK Mammography CAD System, at the ACR (American College of Radiology) National Conference on Breast Cancer. The mammography workstation will be available in June and the CAD software is available now.

“We offer an innovative portfolio of digital mammography solutions that include image capture, display, storage and information management solutions as well as professional services to help mammography providers realize the desired efficiencies from their new digital workflow,” said Dina Vazzana, General Manager, Mammography Solutions, Kodak’s Health Group.

Kodak’s mammography workstation provides efficient review of mammographic studies from ultrasound, MRI and FFDM (full-field digital mammography) systems as well as other digital imaging modalities used for breast imaging. General radiology exams can also be displayed on the workstation to support multi-use environments.

The mammography workstation will display images captured by the KODAK DIRECTVIEW CR Mammography Feature for CR 850, CR 950 and CR 975 Systems. Kodak has installed hundreds of CR systems with its mammography feature in Europe, Greater Asia, Japan and Latin America. Clinical trials are underway and Kodak has begun the pre-market submission process with the Food & Drug Administration in the United States. Kodak also plans to seek regulatory approval from Health Canada.

The workstation can be used standalone, with KODAK CARESTREAM PACS (picture archiving and communications system) or with other vendors’ PACS systems.

Workstation features include:

* Ability to efficiently view digital CAD markers that have been applied to digital mammography images. These markers can be turned on and off and healthcare facilities can elect to save imaging studies with or without CAD markers, as dictated by their own protocols.
* Integration of breast MRI and ultrasound CAD software, when coupled with digital mammography CAD, provides a full mammography CAD solution from a single workstation.
* Tissue invert and window/level. Tissue invert allows breast tissue pixels to be inverted while leaving background pixels unchanged. Window and level adjustments can also be made while the background remains unchanged. Both features provide enhanced visualization of breast anatomy.
* Chest wall justification. Automatically pans mammography images so that the chest wall is against the edge of the display window to improve staff productivity and prevent the need for manual adjustments.
* Quad zoom. Divides an image into four quadrants and displays the quadrants in sequence at 1:1 resolution so that radiologists can easily view images captured on larger detector modalities, which includes most FFDM systems.

The KODAK mammography workstation, which includes two five-megapixel monitors, offers mammography-specific display protocols and tools designed to enhance radiologists’ productivity and an ergonomically designed handheld workflow controller that can help reduce the incidence of repetitive stress injuries. The workstation also supports a standard mouse.

Enhancements to Film-Based CAD System

Kodak also demonstrated enhancements to its film-based mammography CAD system, which can now be part of a solution that includes electronic storage of the scanned mammograms including KODAK CARESTREAM Hosted Information Management (HIM). With the HIM solution, scanned mammograms can be securely transmitted and stored at, as well as retrieved from, a remote Kodak storage facility.

Other features of the film-based CAD system include:

* Ability to save scanned mammograms as DICOM files. As films are digitized for CAD, they can also be sent to an archive or any vendor’s PACS system that supports DICOM standards. This facilitates efficient digital access to the image files and is especially useful for facilities that anticipate transitioning to digital mammography, since the cases that are digitized for CAD will be available for electronic viewing with the patient’s next annual exam.
* New options for viewing CAD results in portrait or landscape mode that allows radiologists to configure the system to their specific hanging preferences.
* Ability to save log files from the system and report the number of markers per film and per case.

KODAK Services Help Improve Efficiency, Smooth Digital Transition

Kodak’s comprehensive mammography portfolio includes mammography-specific tools for its CARESTREAM Radiology Solutions, including the KODAK CARESTREAM PACS and CARESTREAM RIS (radiology information system).

Kodak also offers a full range of services to help customers improve efficiency, increase productivity and smooth the transition to digital imaging solutions. Services include: workflow analysis and redesign, project management, change management and the development of new policies and procedures to help customers maintain compliance with governmental regulations.

About Kodak’s Health Group

Kodak’s Health Group, with 2005 revenues of $2.65 billion, is a world leader in supplying the medical and dental professions with advanced healthcare products, services and information technology solutions. Its broad portfolio includes picture archiving and communications systems (PACS), radiology information systems (RIS), healthcare information systems, computed radiography (CR) and digital radiography (DR) systems, laser imagers, mammography and oncology systems, x-ray film systems, dental imaging products, and a range of consulting—as well as repair and maintenance—services.

Kodak is the world’s foremost imaging innovator, providing leading products and services to not only healthcare customers, but to the photographic and graphic communications markets . With sales of $14.3 billion in 2005, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak’s system of digital and traditional image capture products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; and Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images.
For more information about Kodak’s Health Group, contact your Kodak representative or visit www.kodak.com/go/health.
KODAK, DIRECTVIEW and CARESTREAM are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company
2006

Contact Information

John LaBella

(Global, North America)

Eastman Kodak Company

Contact via E-mail