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Less anxiety during the examination

Stefanie Gügel-Wild, Lukas Eller | Siemens Inventors of the Year | Design and User Experience

Mammograms save lives. They enable malignant breast tumors – the most common form of cancer in women – to be identified, often long before they can be felt. The imaging procedure scans the patients’ breast tissue using low-dose X-rays and generate a detailed image that can be used to identify and assess even minor changes. Especially accurate diagnoses can be obtained from mammography systems that provide a three-dimensional image of the scanned tissue: for example, MAMMOMAT B.brilliant, the latest 3-D mammography system from Siemens Healthineers. For their user- and patient-centric design of MAMMOMAT B.brilliant, Stefanie Gügel-Wild and Lukas Eller at Siemens Healthineers were named Inventors of the Year 2024 in the Design & User Experience category.

Relaxed examination environment for patients

A person is standing in front of a white wall, wearing a black shirt and holding a black object in their hand.

Stefanie Gügel-Wild and Lukas Eller are Inventors of the Year 2024. Their invention makes mammography examinations more comfortable for patients.

“When we talk about a mammography device for users, we need to take two user groups into consideration,” Stefanie explains. “The medical personnel who often have to operate the device for hours at a time, and the patients, who sometimes experience major stress when they enter the examination environment. Keeping unwell and anxious patients in mind, it was important for us to create examination conditions that feel relaxed and non-threatening. That’s why we developed a device that’s as calming and reduced as possible and can be illuminated indirectly using soft colors. This eliminates the “technical” and threatening aspect from the machine and makes it more approachable.”

A 3-D mammogram involves taking several images from different positions, which are then used to calculate the three-dimensional representation. The images are taken while the X-ray tube is moved around the stationary breast. “Of course, this is unpleasant for many patients: The breast is fixed in position, they can’t move, and the system remains in motion,” Lukas observes. “That’s why our device has a unique element: a fixed ergonomic face shield. The patients can place their heads against this transparent shield and have the feeling of being safe and protected. We also designed a comfortable hand rest that the patients can intuitively locate during the examination. This is intended to provide a sense of security without encouraging them to grip it tightly, so the breast muscle remains relaxed during the examination.”

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The UX team analyzed all aspects of the examination beforehand.

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Ergonomic workplace

A design like this isn’t achieved by accident; it’s the result of careful analyses by the entire UX team. They visited hospitals, consulted medical imaging technologists, and observed examinations. In the process, they observed that in the case of most devices, the technologists needed to bend over in order to correctly position the patients for the examination. This observation provided the motivation for the new ComfortMove feature: When the X-ray tube isn’t being used, it swivels back slightly so the technologists can work standing upright.

Through numerous iterations, the new design was created in stages based on the results of analysis, technical requirements, and other conditions. The medical personnel were involved at every stage and were able to offer input. For example, the technologists tested the workflows during the design process using VR glasses and a cardboard model. 3-D printed prototypes were also created to respond to questions about ergonomics during development. The MAMMOMAT B.brilliant has been on the market since the fall of 2023.