Recommendations on Standards for the Design of Medical Diagnostic Equipment for Adults with Disabilities, Advisory Committee Final Report

4.4.3 Implications of Mammography Equipment Components

To determine the accessibility standard recommendations, understanding mammography equipment components is essential. Figure 4.3.3(a) illustrates the terminology and the location on a mammography device that the Committee used to describe mammography components.

Figure 4.4.3(a)

Mammography Equipment Components

(SOURCE: Hologic, Inc.)

In order to get an image with sufficient detail, a woman’s breast must rest on top of the breast platform and her chest wall needs to be flush with the front edge of the breast platform. For this to be possible, the breast platform needs to go low enough to accommodate a woman seated in a wheelchair. In addition, knee and toe clearance must be adequate to allow the woman to get close enough to the breast platform without her knees or feet hitting parts of the equipment. Another important feature of mammography equipment is the base support (shown in Figure 4.4.3(a), which is critical for structural support, seismic stability, and installation safety. This base support must be low enough so that the woman’s wheelchair footrests can ride over it; furthermore, it must allow enough unobstructed floor space to ensure that her wheelchair’s front caster wheels do not hit it. Lastly, the configuration of the positioning supports must provide enough flexibility for all patients to be able to reach and hold them. Figure 4.4.3(b) shows an illustration of each accessibility feature.

Figure 4.4.3(b)
Features of Mammography Equipment Addressed by Committee

(SOURCE: Hologic, Inc.)