Synthetic Digital Mammograms

High resolution, virtual digital mammograms are created from computational models of the human breast that include branched lobulated ducts and suspensory ligaments embedded in fatty subcutaneous tissues.  Breast phantoms may include any of the following three types of simulated tumors: Virtual mammograms are generated by computing x-ray transmission through mathematically defined, three dimensional tissue space according to Beer's Law, using a fast ray-tracing algorithm.  The resulting test images are realistic, inexpensive, and reproducible at any desired resolution.  They may contain precisely defined and localized abnormalities of unlimited subtlety.