Mammograms offer women many benefits, from early detection of breast cancer to a resulting need for less aggressive treatments and potentially avoiding chemotherapy. But many women are reluctant to schedule a mammogram because of discomfort they experience during the procedure, when breast tissue is compressed in order to achieve optimal image quality via 2-dimensional X-rays.
A device from Georgia-based healthtech company Koning Health aims to give those women an option with no compression at all. Its Koning Vera Breast CT device uses advanced computed tomography technology “that dramatically improves the way clinicians visualize and evaluate breast tissue,” the company says.
Using a CT scan—also known as a CAT scan—the device is designed for women to lie upon with a breast suspended freely through an opening. High-contrast, real 3D images of the breast are taken in a “7-second exposure” at radiation levels in the same range of diagnostic mammograms, Koning said, resulting in “exceptional spatial resolution” without painful compression.
Koning Vera has received FDA PMA approval for both breast CT and 3D-guided biopsy. The company has installed the device at breast centers in several U.S. states and Jamaica, and is expanding to Texas soon with a Vera Scan system in Dallas.
Doctor-brother team introducing Vera Scan to Dallas
Koning will be installing a Vera Scan system in Dallas at a clinic operated by Dr. Richard Reaven, an imaging expert who works as part of a team with his brothers, Dr. Daniel Reaven, Dr. Andrew Reaven, and Dr. Matthew Reaven, as well as plastic surgeon Dr. Robert Paresi.
“Our goal is to deliver a pain-free breast imaging experience with the Koning Vera,” Dr. Richard Reaven said in a statement. “Women have been searching for an alternative to the discomfort associated with traditional mammography for decades. With this innovative technology, we’re able to produce high-quality images without compression in just 7 seconds per breast.”
The device has recently been installed at Radiology West in Montego Bay, Jamaica, and made available in a mobile unit operated in California through the company Gnosis for Her. “This mobile trailer ensures that barriers like income, time, and location don’t prevent women from getting access to high-quality diagnostic care,” Koning said.
Other current and upcoming installations
Koning Vera installations are also coming to Chicago, Illinois; Sarasota, Florida; and Cincinnati, Ohio, “within the coming months,” the company added.
“We’re thrilled to see our technology being embraced by healthcare providers globally,” Lutao Ning, CEO of Koning Health, said in a statement. “Our recent and upcoming installations are a clear indication of the impact the Koning Vera is making in the fight against breast cancer. We remain dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in breast imaging and ensuring that more women have access to the life-saving diagnostics they deserve.”
Founded in 2002 by the company’s global chairman, Dr. Ruola Ning, Koning said its vision is to create a revolution in medical imaging through advanced computed tomography technology “that dramatically improves the way clinicians visualize and evaluate breast tissue.” The Koning Vera Breast CT “is expected to optimize early disease detection, diagnosis, intervention, and treatment, and will improve survival rates for millions of patients worldwide,”the company added.
You can find out more about the Koning Vera Breast CT by visiting the company’s website. which includes a video about the device that aired on the Discovery Channel.
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