New technology aiming to improve patients’ outcomes in breast cancer

• Innovative technology can lead to improved patient outcomes by securing high-resolution images in combination with low dose X-ray radiation.

• Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in women in Europe, accounting for 1 in 4 annual cancer cases.

Fujifilm is set to unveil groundbreaking new mammography technology, AMULET SOPHINITY™, at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR) 2024.

his technology, designed in union with leading clinicians, aims at significantly improving both accuracy and ease in diagnosis and offers increased patient comfort without compromising on imaging quality.

reast cancer is the most common female cancer in the WHO Europe region, accounting for 1 in 4 new cancer diagnoses with an estimated incidence of more than half a million in 2020, making it the leading cause of cancer death in women. [i]

Through state-of-the-art and future-proofed technology, we can improve these outcomes for patients across Europe and more lives can be saved through faster diagnosis.

At a time where cancer diagnoses are set to increase by 24% by 2035, overtaking circulatory diseases as the leading cause of death in the EU, it has never been more important to deliver enhanced screening and faster diagnosis.[ii]

AMULET SOPHINITY™

AMULET SOPHINITY™ is a digital mammography system that offers low dose, high image quality, and improved workflow with AI technology. The "AMULET SOPHINITY™" system is equipped with a direct conversion type FPD that uses a "Hexagonal Close Pattern (HCP) structure" TFT panel*1 developed. It provides high-resolution images with a pixel size of 50 µm. Besides Contrast Enhanced Digital Mammography (CEDM) for lesion detection and follow up, it supports dual angle tomosynthesis with an improved sharp image reconstruction for better calcification, providing images focused on the structures you want to see, further facilitating observation of lesions that are difficult to detect due to overlapping mammary gland structures. By increasing the number of tomosynthesis images taken compared to the current model*2 and increasing the amount of information used for image reconstruction, artifacts*3 generated during reconstruction can be reduced and clearer images can be observed. There are two angles supported; ST Mode for the routine exams with the total dose per series being equivalent to that of the current model and the dedicated HR Mode for the most difficult cases that leaves no compromises on image quality and supports an extremely high separation and resolution.

Furthermore, AMULET SOPHINITY™ digital mammography system is equipped with the projection function called “Positioning MAP”, which was newly developed using AI technology*4. The skin lines*5 and nipple positions extracted from the previous mammography image are projected onto the table surface as a guide to the same positioning as in the previous mammography image. This allows the radiographer to position the breast with reference to the projected skin line and nipple position, making it possible to take images that can be easily compared with previous images. In the case of a first-time examination where no previous images are available, images of the opposite sides can be inverted and projected onto the table surface for comparison of the left and right breasts. The “Positioning MAP” reduces the time and effort required for image alignment and other reading tasks, improving workflow in both positioning and reading.

In addition to the positioning MAP, the system supports AI based patient positioning analysis to identify any kind of positioning deviation along the criteria of the positioning guidelines.

In addition, the design and functions are designed to be gentle to the examinee. The curved shape that conforms to the shape of the body is provided in the front of the detector to relieve tightness during examinations, and the Comfort Comp automatic pressure reduction control function, which aims to reduce pain during breast compression, is provided as standard.

Last year, FUJIFILM Europe GmbH announced the separation of its medical systems from the wider imaging and materials business and merging it with its Fujifilm Healthcare Europe entity (former Hitachi Medical Systems Europe) to focus on providing the most comprehensive and innovative med-tech solutions building on its heritage in medical imaging.

Fujifilm Healthcare is already responsible for sector-leading technologies, such as their Synapse platform, that improves the speed and accuracy of clinical decision making. With knowledge, passion, and inspiration, Fujifilm supports healthcare professionals across Women’s Health in their goal of helping improve patients’ outcomes – developing the most comprehensive and innovative med-tech solutions derived from core competencies in medical imaging.

Fujifilm Healthcare has expanded its ability to provide diagnostics and medical devices, with Women’s Health as one of the key areas which will benefit from its innovative imaging solutions.

Masaharu Fukumoto, Managing Director, Fujifilm Healthcare Europe, said:

_{*1 A TFT panel with hexagonal electrodes that convert X-rays into electric charges and collect the electric charges to detect X-ray information. Disturbances in the electric field intensity that occur at the corners of the electrodes generally increase as the corners become more acute. In our “HCP structure” TFT panels, the shape of the electrode is not square, which is used in general panels, but hexagonal, which has more obtuse angles, thereby reducing the disturbance of the electric field intensity. This improves charge collection efficiency and increases X-ray detection sensitivity by approximately 20% compared to panels with square electrodes (compared to our equipment with square electrodes).
*2 AMULET Innovality, our digital mammography system for breast cancer screening. Trade name: Digital mammography system FDR MS-3500
*3 An image that does not originally exist, which is generated during image reconstruction in mammography tomosynthesis imaging.
*4 The nipple position detection algorithm is designed using deep learning, an AI technology. System performance and accuracy do not automatically change after installation.
*5 Contour of breast skin.}

[i] European Commission (2023). Link to the document

[ii] European Commission (2022). Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan. Available at:  commission.europa.eu.