Analysis of motion during the breast clamping phase of mammography

Ma, W; McEntee, M; Kelly, J; Millington, S; Mercer, CE; Hogg, P

Abstract

Objectives: To measure paddle motion during the clamping phase of a breast phantom
for a range of machine/paddle combinations.
Methods: A deformable breast phantom was used to simulate a female breast. Twelve
mammography machines from three manufacturers with twenty two flexible and twenty
fixed paddles were evaluated. Vertical motion at the paddle was measured using two
calibrated linear potentiometers. For each paddle, the motion in millimeters was
recorded every 0.5 seconds for 40 seconds while the phantom was compressed with
80 N. Independent t-tests were used to determine differences in paddle motion
between flexible and fixed, small and large, GE Senographe Essential and Hologic
Selenia Dimensions paddles. Paddle tilt in the medial-lateral plane for each
machine/paddle combination was calculated.
Results: All machine/paddle combinations demonstrate highest levels of motion during
the first 10s of the clamping phase. Least motion is 0.17±0.05 mm/10s (n=20) and the
most is 0.51±0.15 mm/10s (n=80). There is a statistical difference in paddle motion
between fixed and flexible (p<0.001), GE Senographe Essential and Hologic Selenia
Dimensions paddles (p<0.001). Paddle tilt in the medial-lateral plane is independent of
time and varied from 0.04° to 0.69°.
Conclusions: All machine/paddle combinations exhibited motion and tilting and the
extent varied with machine and paddle sizes and types.
Advances in knowledge: This research suggests that image blurring will likely be
clinically insignificant 4 seconds or more after the clamping phase commences.

Citation

Ma, W., McEntee, M., Kelly, J., Millington, S., Mercer, C., & Hogg, P. (2016). Analysis of motion during the breast clamping phase of mammography. British Journal of Radiology, 89(1059), 20150715. https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20150715

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 6, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016
• Publication Date: Feb 1, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jan 11, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 24, 2019
• Journal: British Journal of Radiology
• Print ISSN: 0007-1285
• Publisher: British Institute of Radiology
• Volume: 89
• Issue: 1059
• Pages: 20150715
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20150715
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1259/bjr.20150715
• Related Public URLs: http://www.birpublications.org/toc/bjr/current
• Additional Information: Funders : Symposium Mammographicum