A clinical experience of a prototype automated breast ultrasound system combining transmission and reflection 3D imaging

A new ultrasound CT breast WBU (Warm Bath Ultrasound) Scanner developed by Techniscan Medical Systems, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and supported by Esaote Spa, Genoa, Italy, was installed for pre-clinical testing at the Department of Radiology, Clinical Radiology, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany. The system acquires a volume dataset of both transmission and reflection of the whole breast. A 3D inverse scattering algorithm generates 3D maps of both speed of sound and attenuation of tissues, along with a 3D reflection map geometrically registered with the previous ones. The pilot study examination protocol included breast WBU, handheld ultrasound and mammography for every patient. MRI was used when recommended for diagnostic purposes. In cases of suspected malignancy, vacuum core biopsy was conducted. A total of 60 patients were included in the study. As result, 10 out of 12 carcinomas were detected in the WBU examinations. In 2 cases, carcinoma close to the chest wall laid outside the field of view. Fibroadenomas and cysts were depicted reliably. Lesion characteristics differ markedly from handheld ultrasound. Speed of sound and attenuation images may increase the lesions characterization reliability.