GE Diamond - User Interface Characteristics; 4.1 AutoPoint Detector

4 User interface characteristics
86500-IMG rev 3 GE Healthcare 17
4 User interface characteristics
4.1 AUTOPOINT DETECTOR
The AutoPoint detector is a highly sophisticated mammography
Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) system. The image receptor base
holds the AutoPoint Detector. This comprises 8 separate specially shaped
Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) detectors. AutoPoint feature
automatically selects the most appropriate detectors (primary and
secondary) and calculates exposure time. This is especially useful in the
following cases:
– consistent selection of the detector based on actual breast
density, not on visual appearance
– more homogeneous optical densities all over breast image are
generated
– when small breasts are examined
Three D-shaped detectors are
positioned at the front edge, three
oval detectors towards the back
along centerline and two oval
detectors either side of the
centerline. The active area of a D-
shaped or an oval detector is within
a rectangular area of 4x1.5 cm and
the oval detector within 4x3 cm.
The measurement distance range of the AutoPoint detectors from front to
back is 13 cm. The maximum width of the area covered by the detectors
in the front is 17 cm. The detectors at the front edge are 5 mm from the
edge of the film.
The AutoPoint Detector has two modes of operation, automatic and
manual. In the automatic mode, the system selects the most appropriate
detector to measure the radiation coming through the breast. Depending
on set-up, a secondary detector with lower weight may also be selected.
In manual mode the user selects the detector.
The selection between automatic (AutoPoint) and manual selection of the
AEC detectors (button 9) is made at the Position Control Center. If
AutoPoint mode is selected, the AutoPoint LED lights up at the Positioning
Control Center and on the Control Panel. When the LEDs are off, the
manual mode is selected. The user can select the required detector from
the selection buttons (9). An LED turns on to indicate the selected detector.
NOTE!
If interpolative detector selection is used to lighten up less dense sections
of the breast, it will also lighten up the most dense areas of the breast.
The Diamond system recognizes the compression paddle (and the
cassette holder, depending on the PaddleLogic settings) in use and
collimates the x-ray field size and disables those detectors that are
outside of the radiation field or not under the compressed part of the
breast.
Fig 4.1. AutoPoint detectors
18x24 cm
17 cm
13 cm
FOR TRAINING PURPOSES ONLY!
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