Beaverton, Ore., April 2, 1997 – Scientific Imaging Technologies, Inc. (SITe) is being honored for taking its charge-coupled device (CCD) technology – originally developed for the Hubble Space Telescope – and transferring the technology to the fight against breast cancer.

The 1024-x-1024-pixel CCD, with a sensitivity range of 190 nm to 1.1 mm, will be inducted into the United States Space Foundation’s Space Technology Hall of Fame on Thursday, April 3. NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin will present SITe with a special award at the Space Technology Hall of Fame Dinner, part of the 1997 National Space Symposium taking place April 1-4 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Aboard the orbiting Hubble, the 1-inch-square SITe CCD is a key component of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), an instrument that allows the telescope to measure light output of stars, planets and other deep-space bodies. Discovery space-shuttle astronauts installed the STIS aboard the Hubble in February. On Earth, the CCD is the imaging sensor in the Lorad StereoGuideÄ Breast Biopsy System, used in thousands of hospitals, clinics and doctor’s offices.

This minimally invasive system has been shown to be three to 10 times more sensitive than other breast cancer detection methods, and doctors credit system capabilities with helping save many women’s lives. U.S. Space Foundation officials call use of the SITe CCD in the breast biopsy system "an excellent example of taking space technology and applying it to the betterment of life here on our home planet." Breast cancer detection has been in the national spotlight lately, with President Clinton and Congress supporting the medical community’s recommendation that women over 40 undergo annual mammograms.

"The Hall of Fame recognition," says Beth Gudeman, SITe chief executive officer, "helps validate the years of effort that went into developing our CCD."

SITe developed its award-winning CCD during the middle to late 1980s, responding to NASA’s request for a UV-sensitive CCD to be used aboard the Hubble Space Telescope. "SITe was the logical choice to design this CCD," says Gudeman, "NASA came to us because we were the only company in the world with the proven backthinned technology needed to do the job."

After perfecting the CCD for the Hubble, Gudeman says SITe saw the logic of applying the technology to breast cancer detection. "Astronomy and breast cancer detection share several common imaging requirements. For example, both require high-resolution capability so small details can be seen. They also require imaging systems that can, in a single image, record objects that span largely varying brightness levels."

Working closely with Danbury, Conn.-based Lorad Corp., SITe has seen the breast biopsy system application become one of the CCD’s fastest growing markets. In operation, the system captures sharp, high-resolution images of a breast tissue abnormality from two angles, and the exact location of the abnormality is determined. Then, via a needle, a doctor extracts a small sample of the mass for analysis. The patient can immediately leave the doctor’s office without having to undergo an invasive surgical procedure to remove tissue samples. The Lorad system exposes a patient to only half the radiation of a conventional breast tissue X-ray, and cost of a needle biopsy is approximately one-fourth that of the surgical alternative.

SITe, with more than 20 years’ experience, is a world leader in the development of CCD technologies. Its scientific-grade CCDs are used in numerous scientific and commercial applications. These include astronomy, aerospace, medicine and spectroscopy, plus biomedical imaging, nondestructive testing, manufacturing quality control and environmental monitoring.