Paris Radiology Institute Upgrades Ultrasound Systems

The Paris Radiology Institute (IRP; France) has installed nine Aixplorer ultrasound systems, which can acquire images 200 times faster than conventional systems.

The Paris Radiology Institute, founded in 1970, was the first private outpatient center in France to have a mammography scanner installed in 1986. Since 2006, the IRP has utilized two dedicated breast screening areas that feature three three-dimensional (3D) digital mammography units, one of which equipped for macro biopsies. The senography areas include eight dedicated ultrasound units, of which one is used for interventional mammary ultrasound.

The Aixplorer, a product of SuperSonic Imagine (Aix-en-Provence, France), can image two types of waves: ultrasound waves, which ensure excellent image quality; and shear waves, which allow physicians to visualize and analyze the stiffness of tissue in a real-time, reliable, reproducible, and noninvasive manner. Termed ShearWave Elastography, the technology significantly improves the detection, characterization, and monitoring of various pathologies involving the breast, liver, prostate, thyroid and others; it also reduces the number of needless biopsies.

“We have a team of 38 radiologists who excel in breast imaging. We were looking for an advanced ultrasound system providing high quality images and featuring breakthrough innovations to reinforce our senology ward,” declared the IRP in a press statement. “The Aixplorer by SuperSonic Imagine allows us to use ShearWave Elastography, which improves the precision of exams carried out by radiologists.”

“It is an honor for us to be chosen by the Paris Radiology Institute, a preeminent center that stays at the forefront of imaging technology and progress,” said Yves Tenaglia, vice president of SuperSonic Imagine Europe. “Our ultrasound system is not only easy to use, allowing radiologists to work comfortably and more productively, it is also highly advanced and innovative.”

Besides mammography, the IRP offer all types of imaging, including conventional radiology, ultrasound, vascular, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and bone density readings. The results of all tests can be reviewed and shared by doctors from any of seven units.

Ultrasonic shear-wave elastography is a form of vibrational wave analysis, similar to that of a seismograph during earthquakes. The main shockwave that propagates through the earth is a longitudinal wave, like that of ultrasound imaging, which runs along the direction of the wave. The secondary wave is a transverse wave that propagates by at right angles to the direction of the wave; these are also called shear waves or elastic shear waves. Shear waves are commonly used in nondestructive testing for flaws in manufactured materials, such as cracks.

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Paris Radiology Institute
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