Medical Platform
Static Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (s-DBT)
Digital breast tomosynthesis improves lesion visibility beyond 2D mammography, yet conventional systems remain dependent on mechanical tube motion. STRETTA’s Static DBT replaces source sweep with electronically sequenced multibeam emission, redefining projection geometry through control electronics rather than moving mass.
Clinical Context
Reducing Tissue Superposition in Breast Imaging
Digital breast tomosynthesis was introduced to address tissue superposition that can obscure lesions in 2D mammography. By acquiring multiple low-dose projections across an angular range, DBT reconstructs quasi-3D datasets and improves diagnostic confidence.
Most current DBT systems, however, rely on a mechanically moving X-ray tube that sweeps along an arc during acquisition. This motion defines the limits of stability, timing and long-term reproducibility.
Static multibeam emission replaces mechanical tube sweep, redefining how tomosynthesis projections are generated.
Architectural Constraint
Mechanical Motion Defines Acquisition Limits
Focal spot movement during exposure introduces motion blur. Acquisition time becomes sensitive to patient motion. Mechanical wear influences long-term geometric stability and calibration drift.
Detector sensitivity and reconstruction algorithms cannot remove these dependencies. As long as projection geometry is generated by moving mass, image consistency remains physically constrained.
System Architecture
Electronically Defined Projection Sequences
STRETTA’s static DBT architecture replaces tube sweep with electronic beam sequencing. Multiple focal spots are spatially arranged and activated in rapid succession, defining projection geometry electronically rather than mechanically. Exposures occur without focal spot displacement, enabling instantaneous switching and shorter acquisition windows.
Multi beam technology enables projection-level gating, generating radiation only during active detector windows. The Electronic Control System (ECS) provides deterministic pulse timing and stable current regulation for each emitter, while the High Voltage Generator (HVG) maintains spectral consistency under rapid switching conditions. Together, these elements stabilize projection geometry and photon energy while reducing mechanical complexity and long-term recalibration requirements.
Emission Control
From Demonstrator to Scalable Platform
Stationary tomosynthesis feasibility has been demonstrated through functional prototypes and structured evaluations validating projection acquisition, reconstruction compatibility with static source geometries and stable multi-view emission performance.
By eliminating mechanical sweep, the static DBT architecture supports shorter acquisition windows, reduces motion-artifact sensitivity and provides a scalable system platform prepared for future extensions such as spectral DBT and advanced detector integration.