Increased microcalcification visibility in lumpectomy specimens using a stationary digital breast tomosynthesis system

Current digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) systems have been shown to have diminished microcalcification (MC) visibility compared to 2D mammography systems. Rotating gantry DBT systems require mechanical motion of the X-ray source which causes motion blurring of the focal spot, thus reducing spatial resolution. We have developed a stationary DBT (s-DBT) technology that uses a carbon nanotube (CNT) based X-ray source array in order to acquire all the projections images without any mechanical motion. It is capable of producing full tomosynthesis datasets with zero motion blur. It has been shown to have significantly higher spatial resolution than continuous motion DBT systems. An s-DBT system also allows for a wider angular span without increasing the acquisition time. A larger angular span covers a larger portion of the Fourier domain, thus decreasing the tissue overlap. In this study, we compare tomosynthesis imaging of MCs, in lumpectomy specimens, between an s-DBT system and a rotating gantry DBT system. Results show that s-DBT produces better MC sharpness and reduced tissue overlap compared to continuous motion DBT systems.