Stationary Anti-scatter Grids for Digital Breast Imaging

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the United States and is second only to lung cancer as a cause of cancer-related death. Much of the reduced mortality over the past decade can be attributed to early detection and timely medical intervention. Mammography remains the gold standard for breast cancer screening and early detection. Despite its higher initial cost, digital mammography is rapidly becoming the modality of choice, because of its speed, automation and archiving capability. Image quality, however, remains arguably no better than that achieved on older analog systems. We propose a technological innovation that will enhance the quality of digital mammographic images: a stationary anti-scatter grid with high primary transmission and very low scatter-to- primary ratio that will increase image contrast and, thus, facilitate interpretation of the resulting image. Creatv's grid is the result of two technical innovations: a novel, high precision lithographic technique that is superior to conventional x-ray and UV methods, and a proprietary replication technique suitable for high volume production of metal microstructures. The grid can be manufactured at competitive cost and made broadly available to mammography system makers and users. The improvement in image quality will allow radiologists and computer-aided software to make more correct interpretation of the images, leading to a reduced number of false positives and false negatives and saving lives.