Mammography system allows remote control

“Mammograms can be uncomfortable or even painful,” said Agnes Berzsenyi, President and CEO of GE Healthcare Women’s Health. “Engineered by a team of women for women, GE Healthcare has transformed mammography with the creation of patient-assisted compression to decrease pain associated with the exam, improve patient experience and increase outcomes for breast cancer screening which we know saves lives.”

In traditional mammography, the technologist performing the exam compresses the patient’s breast, often causing discomfort. Patient-assisted compression allows women to control the application of compression to minimise the perceived pain and discomfort often associated with a mammogram.

After the breast is properly positioned by the technologist, the patient can use a handheld wireless remote control to command Senographe Pristina to adjust the compression paddle based on the patient’s comfort level.

“This is a new age in breast imaging,” said Dr. Kathy Schilling, Medical Director of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Center and the radiologist who conducted a clinical review of the new tool. “Patients who used the remote control said the exam was more comfortable and they were visibly more relaxed".

"Any breast radiologist knows that when patients are relaxed, we are able to get better images and better images lead to a more confident diagnosis. My hope is that increasing comfort during the exam and giving patients the option of working with the technologist to set their own compression will increase compliance, enable early detection and improve outcomes.”

Patient-assisted compression is the newest comfort feature available on Senographe Pristina, a totally redesigned mammography system that has replaced traditional design with rounded edges and a thinner image detector to create a more pleasant experience for women as well as armrests that position women to relax rather than tense up during the compression and image acquisition process. 

“No woman should miss out on the potentially life-saving benefits of regular mammograms out of fear or anxiety of discomfort,” Berzsenyi said. “Senographe Pristina was designed with empathy. It humanises the mammography experience by increasing comfort and reducing patient anxiety. The system's potential to help increase the number of annual screening exams is a critical advancement in women's healthcare.”