Matakina and PenRad Sign Letter of Intent to Display Volpara™ Volumetric Breast Density Results on Mammography Review Station

LAS VEGAS, March 15, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Matakina International, Limited of New Zealand and PenRad Technologies, Inc., a leader in medical image and information management, today announced that the companies have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to use the PenRad Mammography Information System (MIS) to display the Volpara™ breast imaging software. The announcement was made from the National Consortium of Breast Center's (NCBC) 21st Annual National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference.

Offering radiologists a reliable and cost-effective tool to automatically generate objective volumetric breast density values, the FDA-cleared Volpara breast imaging software computes volumetric breast tissue density from digital screening mammograms.  Volpara software assists radiologists by providing objective, automatic and robust measurement of volumetric breast tissue density and is currently available for Hologic and GE digital mammography systems with validation of integration with other systems underway.

Breast tissue density has not only been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, it also decreases the sensitivity of the mammogram and thereby may impact early detection.  Several large studies have confirmed that as tissue density increases the accuracy of mammography decreases. Thirty-five percent of breast cancer goes undetected by mammography in women with dense breasts, as density masks the appearance of tumors (Boyd et al 2007, NEJM).  Since both dense breast tissue and cancer appear white on a mammogram, finding cancers can be analogous to looking for a snowball in a snow storm.

"PenRad shares our commitment to improving the detection of cancer through better access to critical breast health information," said Dr. Ralph Highnam, CEO, Matakina International, Ltd.  "The objective measurement of breast density clearly offers important clinical information, but the technology will not be used effectively unless it is easily integrated into routine diagnostic workflow. The ability to display breast density values on the PenRad MIS is a significant step."

Volpara provides an easy to implement, objective volumetric assessment of breast tissue density. Using digital images and information captured in every mammographic exam, the system applies a state-of-the-art algorithm developed by some of the world's top imaging scientists using new developments in imaging physics. The robustness of the software provides quantitative reliability, allowing Volpara to be incorporated in both research and clinical imaging protocols, which are becoming increasingly important as adjuvant imaging is being added to traditional screening mammography.

"We are pleased to establish a partnership with Matakina," said Greg Gustafson, president at PenRad. "Adding Volpara to PenRad MIS, the industry leading Mammography Information System, will give radiologists rapid access to critical diagnostic information in their routine workflow – the result is a win-win for clinicians and their patients."

PenRad MIS improves mammography efficiency and standardization while offering faster turnaround time for exams. By automating tasks, and eliminating duplication, secondary data input and transcription, PenRad MIS enhances the patient care workflow of interpretation, reporting, tracking and management. PenRad MIS dramatically increases productivity, all while saving facilities up to 25 percent in cost savings.

About PenRad

The PenRad suite of products enhance practice workflow, quality and revenue. Designed flexible and for easy integration, PenRad products include a web-based multi-modality diagnostic workstation PACS, computer-aided visualization and analysis for MRI, CAD for ultrasound, and mammography information systems for fast and reliable interpretation, reporting, tracking and management of clinical data. Whether integrating with existing infrastructure or providing a complete solution, PenRad partners with customers to optimize workflow and enhance revenue. PenRad MIS is the KLAS 2010 MIS Category Leader -- third consecutive year.

About Matakina

Founded to enable radiologists to give women the most accurate information possible regarding their breast health, Matakina International, Limited is the wholly owned sales and marketing arm of Matakina Technology Limited of New Zealand.  Volpara's founders and Board of Directors includes John Hood, PhD, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Oxford, UK, Ralph Highnam, PhD, former CEO of Mirada Solutions, one of the University of Oxford's most successful spin-outs of recent times and co-author of the seminal book Mammographic Image Analysis; and Professor Sir Michael Brady, a serial entrepreneur who recently retired from the University of Oxford where he was Professor of Information Technology for 25 years.

SOURCE Matakina International, Limited