Xeromammography is a
photoelectric
The photoelectric effect is the emission of electrons when electromagnetic radiation, such as light, hits a material. Electrons emitted in this manner are called photoelectrons. The phenomenon is studied in condensed matter physics, and solid sta ...
method of recording an
x-ray
An X-ray, or, much less commonly, X-radiation, is a penetrating form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. Most X-rays have a wavelength ranging from 10 picometers to 10 nanometers, corresponding to frequencies in the range 30&nb ...
image on a coated metal plate, using low-energy
photon
A photon () is an elementary particle that is a quantum of the electromagnetic field, including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force. Photons are massless, so they always ...
beams, long
exposure time
In photography, shutter speed or exposure time is the length of time that the film or digital sensor inside the camera is exposed to light (that is, when the camera's shutter is open) when taking a photograph.
The amount of light that re ...
, and dry
chemical developers.
It is a form of
xeroradiography
Xeroradiography is a type of X-ray imaging in which a picture of the body is recorded on paper rather than on film. In this technique, a plate of selenium, which rests on a thin layer of aluminium oxide, is charged uniformly by passing it in front ...
.
This process was developed in the late 1960s by
Jerry Hedstrom, and used to image
soft tissue
Soft tissue is all the tissue in the body that is not hardened by the processes of ossification or calcification such as bones and teeth. Soft tissue connects, surrounds or supports internal organs and bones, and includes muscle, tendons, ligam ...
, and later focused on using the process to detect
breast cancer
Breast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, milk rejection, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a re ...
.
References
External links
A Demonstration of Xeromammography"Xeromammography in the Early Detection of Breast Cancer"JAMA - Xeromammography AbstractXeromammography's Lack of Efficacy"Comparison of Xeromammography and Film Mammography in the Diagnosis of Breast Lesions"Efficacy of Combined Film-Screem/XeromammographySingle View Negative Mode Xeromammography
Radiography
Breast imaging
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