Leeds breast imaging service adds Densitas AI for quality control of mammograms

The breast imaging service at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is the first in the UK to introduce an AI technology from Densitas that evaluates the technical quality of mammograms.

The Canadian software company has worked to customise the intelliMammo software to meet the department’s needs and the image quality standards required by the NHS Breast Screening Programme.

The technology will be implemented in the screening and symptomatic breast services to provide mammographers with instant feedback and AI-generated positioning information. This means that any quality issues are flagged at the patient’s appointment, which should reduce recall rates and enhance the accuracy of the image interpretation.

Director of breast screening Dr Nisha Sharma said: “Using AI will make a real difference to the quality of our breast screening programme and ultimately to the health outcomes of women in Leeds. We are delighted to collaborate with Densitas and build on this foundation for future developments that will improve breast care.”

In addition to improving diagnosis, the technology has been designed to support the continuous improvement of staff. Advanced analytics highlight any individual positioning trends that lead to suboptimal image quality, providing extra support to trainee staff members and helping improve efficiency at appointments.

Consultant radiographer Maggie Fletcher added: “The team has been very enthusiastic about the introduction of this technology and the difference it can make in terms of efficiency. We see thousands of patients every year for routine mammograms and hope that this will provide further reassurance of the quality of our service.”

Lead picture: Director of breast screening Dr Nisha Sharma (second left) with the breast screening team.

Published on page 20 of the April 2022 issue of RAD Magazine.