A practical perspective of computerised radiography on a mobile screening van

Prohibitive costs of implementing direct digital mammography throughout our unit, as we would need to replace analogue machines on two mobile screening vans and at one satellite static unit, directed us towards the interim solution of computerised radiography (CR).

An agreement was made between ourselves and Fuji to pilot the use of CR on a mobile screening van.

We looked at the practicalities of installation of equipment, training and changes to working practices for radiographers, film-reader comparison of images and technical recall rates.

The pilot has been in place for 1 year; 720 independent observations have been made by one consultant radiologist and three mammographic film-readers, comparing hardcopy CR images with previous analogue films, using the criteria set out in the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme evaluation of digital equipment document.

The results demonstrate that CR printed films are at least as good as analogue films, and in many cases better. The spread of relative diagnostic value was between -1 (0.4%) and +2 (14.4%) in favour of CR. This was most marked in the dense breast patterns, as shown in previous publications.

Aspects of physics testing will also be discussed.