What is firefly technology?

  A large number of clinical studies have shown that the identification of microcalcifications can play a pivotal role in the differential diagnosis of many diseases, and that microcalcifications in clusters are of great importance in the determination of benign/malignant breast tumors. However, due to the limitation of technology, ultrasound has not been able to show microcalcifications as well as the overall physical characteristics (size, echogenicity, margins, elasticity) and blood flow of breast tumors, but it is very difficult to show microcalcifications with the same kind of differential diagnosis as X-ray mammography (which has been fully recognized by the clinic). This test is well recognized clinically). Although many ultrasonographers are now engaged in research in this area, hoping to show that the accuracy of these two methods is very close, it is known that in many cases, especially in the early diagnosis of breast cancer, the advantage of x-ray mammography is more pronounced, and the good display of microcalcifications is one of its major advantages over ultrasound. However, X-ray mammography also has its fatal drawbacks: side effects of X-ray; contraindication of some special subjects and time, etc. There is an urgent clinical need for non-invasive ultrasound diagnosis to make a difference in this area, and how to improve the display of microcalcifications has become the focus of technology. Based on this practical clinical need, Toshiba’s technical staff developed the “Firefly” imaging technology after unremitting efforts, which is a patented advanced technology that can well display those tiny calcifications that were previously concealed, making this clinical problem well solved and better expanding the clinical application prospects of ultrasound medicine.