Photon-counting mammography was introduced commercially in 2003 and reducedwas shown to reduce the x-ray dose to the patient by approximately 40% compared to conventional methods while maintaining image quality at an equal or higher level.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Weigel|first=Stefanie|last2=Berkemeyer|first2=Shoma|last3=Girnus|first3=Ralf|last4=Sommer|first4=Alexander|last5=Lenzen|first5=Horst|last6=Heindel|first6=Walter|date=2014-5|title=Digital Mammography Screening with Photon-counting Technique: Can a High Diagnostic Performance Be Realized at Low Mean Glandular Dose?|url=http://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/radiol.13131181|journal=Radiology|language=en|volume=271|issue=2|pages=345–355|doi=10.1148/radiol.13131181|issn=0033-8419}}</ref> The technology was subsequently developed to enable [[Spectral imaging (radiography)|spectral imaging]]<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Berglund|first=Johan|last2=Johansson|first2=Henrik|last3=Lundqvist|first3=Mats|last4=Cederström|first4=Björn|last5=Fredenberg|first5=Erik|date=2014-08-28|title=Energy weighting improves dose efficiency in clinical practice: implementation on a spectral photon-counting mammography system|url=http://medicalimaging.spiedigitallibrary.org/article.aspx?doi=10.1117/1.JMI.1.3.031003|journal=Journal of Medical Imaging|language=en|volume=1|issue=3|pages=031003|doi=10.1117/1.JMI.1.3.031003|issn=2329-4302|pmc=PMC4478791|pmid=26158045}}</ref> with the possibility to further improve image quality,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Berglund|first=Johan|last2=Johansson|first2=Henrik|last3=Lundqvist|first3=Mats|last4=Cederström|first4=Björn|last5=Fredenberg|first5=Erik|date=2014-08-28|title=Energy weighting improves dose efficiency in clinical practice: implementation on a spectral photon-counting mammography system|url=http://medicalimaging.spiedigitallibrary.org/article.aspx?doi=10.1117/1.JMI.1.3.031003|journal=Journal of Medical Imaging|language=en|volume=1|issue=3|pages=031003|doi=10.1117/1.JMI.1.3.031003|issn=2329-4302|pmc=PMC4478791|pmid=26158045}}</ref> and to distinguish between different tissue types.,<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Fredenberg|first=Erik|last2=Willsher|first2=Paula|last3=Moa|first3=Elin|last4=Dance|first4=David R|last5=Young|first5=Kenneth C|last6=Wallis|first6=Matthew G|date=2018-11-22|title=Measurement of breast-tissue x-ray attenuation by spectral imaging: fresh and fixed normal and malignant tissue|url=http://stacks.iop.org/0031-9155/63/i=23/a=235003?key=crossref.e27acb66a5085a07f54324a41c0f0b0e|journal=Physics in Medicine & Biology|volume=63|issue=23|pages=235003|doi=10.1088/1361-6560/aaea83|issn=1361-6560}}</ref> and to measure breast density.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Johansson|first=Henrik|last2=von Tiedemann|first2=Miriam|last3=Erhard|first3=Klaus|last4=Heese|first4=Harald|last5=Ding|first5=Huanjun|last6=Molloi|first6=Sabee|last7=Fredenberg|first7=Erik|date=2017-7|title=Breast-density measurement using photon-counting spectral mammography|url=http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/mp.12279|journal=Medical Physics|language=en|volume=44|issue=7|pages=3579–3593|doi=10.1002/mp.12279}}</ref>
