engineering team then brought Boudier’s design to life, fitting inside the machine’s sleek body advanced

imaging technology that allows doctors to see the breast in 2D and 3D slices and “read it like a book."
One application even helps them build a “synthetic view” of the breast inside a computer and then use
deep learning algorithms to help physicians pinpoint suspicious areas. “We needed to blend all of this
high technology with design features that conveyed emotional benefits,” Patoureaux says.

It was a challenge, she admits, but working closely with Boudier allowed the team to “chip away at the
anxiety women experience during a mammography exam while providing pristine image quality for
accurate diagnoses.”

Another key consideration was manufacturing, since the design also had to be easy to produce. “We
were involved very early in the process,” says Beatrice Martin, who now runs the Pristina production line
in Buc. Borrowing from GE's "brilliant factory" principles, she and her team were able to reduce the
assembly time by half, compared to previous systems.

width=The manufacturing floor at GE Healthcare in Buc, France. Using "brilliant factory" principles, the
production team led by Beatrice Martin was able to reduce assembly time by half. Image credit: GE
Healthcare.

As they moved along, the team invited groups of women to test Boudier's prototypes and provide more
feedback. The final design has a thin, black bucky with smooth round edges made from a carbon fiber
composite. The material provides a warm surface “so women won’t move during the exam,” Hernandez
says. “We have also designed a new remote control so women can compress their breast with the aid of
a technician, a first in the industry.”

Boudier also replaced the handles with armrests and LED lights that encourage women to relax during
the exam. “It’s almost spa-like,” Hernandez says.

The main pillar of the machine, which holds the X-ray source, features flowing, overlapping plastic folds
meant to symbolize a shawl. Its concave shape allows patients to rest their head against it. “From the
beginning, I kept in mind a woman who is feeling anxious and wraps a cover over her shoulders to feel
safe,” Boudier says. “I wanted to express that feminine gesture and keep it a metaphor for our design
approach.”

Pristina is now available in most parts of the world, and some customers, like the Gustave Roussy Cancer
Center in Paris, have fuchsia-painted Pristina rooms where soothing mu engineering team then brought
Boudier’s design to life, fitting inside the machine’s sleek body advanced imaging technology that allows
doctors to see the breast in 2D and 3D slices and “read it like a book." One application even helps them
build a “synthetic view” of the breast inside a computer and then use deep learning algorithms to help
physicians pinpoint suspicious areas. “We needed to blend all of this high technology with design
features that conveyed emotional benefits,” Patoureaux says.

It was a challenge, she admits, but working closely with Boudier allowed the team to “chip away at the
anxiety women experience during a mammography exam while providing pristine image quality for
accurate diagnoses.”

Another key consideration was manufacturing, since the design also had to be easy to produce. “We
were involved very early in the process,” says Beatrice Martin, who now runs the Pristina production line
in Buc. Borrowing from GE's "brilliant factory" principles, she and her team were able to reduce the
assembly time by half, compared to previous systems.

width=The manufacturing floor at GE Healthcare in Buc, France. Using "brilliant factory" principles, the
production team led by Beatrice Martin was able to reduce assembly time by half. Image credit: GE
Healthcare.

As they moved along, the team invited groups of women to test Boudier's prototypes and provide more
feedback. The final design has a thin, black bucky with smooth round edges made from a carbon fiber
composite. The material provides a warm surface “so women won’t move during the exam,” Hernandez
says. “We have also designed a new remote control so women can compress their breast with the aid of
a technician, a first in the industry.”

Boudier also replaced the handles with armrests and LED lights that encourage women to relax during
the exam. “It’s almost spa-like,” Hernandez says.

The main pillar of the machine, which holds the X-ray source, features flowing, overlapping plastic folds
meant to symbolize a shawl. Its concave shape allows patients to rest their head against it. “From the
beginning, I kept in mind a woman who is feeling anxious and wraps a cover over her shoulders to feel
safe,” Boudier says. “I wanted to express that feminine gesture and keep it a metaphor for our design
approach.”

Pristina is now available in most parts of the world, and some customers, like the Gustave Roussy Cancer
Center in Paris, have fuchsia-painted Pristina rooms where soothing music plays in the background. The
latest design for the scanner now also offers an option for hospitals to hide much of the support
structure in a wall and blend it with the surroundings.
Last December, Goodliffe went to get her own Pristina mammogram at a clinic in central Paris. “I wanted
to feel what other women were going through,” she says. When she arrived at the appointment with her
small daughter, the girl wanted to know why her mother was so interested in the machine. “Well, you
know, what I do,” Goodliffe said. “I help women take care of their boobies.”sic plays in the background.
The latest design for the scanner now also offers an option for hospitals to hide much of the support
structure in a wall and blend it with the surroundings.

Last December, Goodliffe went to get her own Pristina mammogram at a clinic in central Paris. “I wanted
to feel what other women were going through,” she says. When she arrived at the appointment with her
small daughter, the girl wanted to know why her mother was so interested in the machine. “Well, you
know, what I do,” Goodliffe said. “I help women take care of their boobies.”