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Ceela McElveny, 800-444-2778, Ext. 1239 SOFTWARE TURNS ANY PCINTO A MAMMOGRAPHY CLASSROOM ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Any PC can become an interactive mammography classroom, thanks to a new software package from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists and Mirada Solutions Ltd. VirtualMammoTM allows users to manipulate a variety of mammographic images on their computer screens in real time, selecting different imaging parameters and instantly seeing the results. “VirtualMammo is a unique teaching tool,” said Valerie Jackson, M.D., FACR, the John A. Campbell professor of radiology at Indiana University School of Medicine and director of the radiology residency program there. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. The software lets users choose different combinations of settings to create as many new mammograms as they want. Users learn by trial-and-error and get instant feedback, without having to use a phantom or expose real breast tissue to multiple x-ray exposures.” With the software, users pull up a mammographic image on their computer screen. Users then use clickable buttons to change the tube voltage (kVp), exposure settings (mAs), the type of film used, film-screen settings and automatic exposure control settings. By manipulating the image, users learn how various factors affect the final mammogram. For example, by changing film-screen settings, users learn how a higher gradient produces a higher contrast image, while a higher speed produces a darker image. “VirtualMammo teaches the physics of x-ray imaging and shows how imaging parameters can be manipulated to optimize image quality,” said Dr. Jackson, who uses the software to teach radiology residents. “The software explains attenuation coefficients, reveals how proper breast compression helps reduce scatter, and shows how a higher tube voltage results in less contrast. For radiologic technologists, the software is an absolutely spectacular tool for learning what radiologists look for in a mammogram.” The software, which runs on any Windows computer system, is loaded with a range of CC and MLO images that illustrate different breast conditions. Images can be opened in two on-screen windows and manipulated independently, allowing the viewer to conduct a side-by-side comparison of the images after changing the technical settings. The VirtualMammo software is loaded onto a CD-ROM. Two editions are available from the ASRT, depending upon the needs of the user:
In addition, five additional CE workbooks and post-tests will be available for users of the VirtualMammo software. Each workbook will focus on a different learning area, and each post-test will be approved for 2.5 Category A continuing education credits. The workbooks will be priced at $37.50 each, or $18.75 each for ASRT members. VirtualMammo was developed by Mirada Solutions Ltd. of Oxford, England, and is being marketed in the United States through a partnership arrangement with the ASRT. Mirada is a medical technology and engineering company that traces its origins to the University of Oxford’s Medical Vision Laboratory, a world-class research center. The ASRT, located in Albuquerque, N.M., is the world’s largest professional society for medical imaging and radiation therapy technologists, with more than 96,000 members. For more information about VirtualMammo and to download a free demonstration version of the software, visit ASRT’s Web site at www.asrt.org. To order the software, contact the ASRT Customer Services Resource Center at 800-444-2778 and press 2. -ASRT-
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