Technology partner. Koning manufactures the imaging device. Care is delivered by independent centers and physicians.
3D breast imaging, without the compression.
Koning Vera Breast CT produces true three-dimensional images of the breast in under ten seconds per side, with no compression at all. It is FDA PMA approved for diagnostic breast imaging, and it is read alongside your standard mammogram rather than instead of it. If your physician thinks it is right for you, there are centers offering it.
Please read this part carefully
- This is not a replacement for your mammogram. Koning’s own approved indication states that Koning Breast CT should be read along with standard 2-view mammography.
- The approval is for diagnostic imaging, not screening. Koning describes a screening indication as a project in development, not something it currently holds.
- Whether this is appropriate for you is a clinical decision. This page cannot make it, and neither can a device manufacturer.
- UberDoc makes no claim of clinical superiority for this or any imaging technology over another, and does not manufacture, distribute, service or warrant this device.
If you have found a lump, noticed a change in your breast, or been called back after a mammogram, the priority is being seen quickly. Book a breast specialist rather than researching equipment.
What cone beam breast CT actually does differently
Described using Koning’s published materials, attributed rather than endorsed. UberDoc has not evaluated or verified the technology.
Standard mammography is a two-dimensional X-ray, and it requires firm compression because that is the only way for the X-rays to penetrate the tissue. Surveys Koning cites report that most women find compression painful, and that pain leads some to skip the annual mammogram entirely. Missed appointments, not missed findings, are the failure mode there.
Koning Vera takes a different physical approach. The patient lies prone and the breast hangs freely through an aperture while a cone beam X-ray source rotates around it, producing an isotropic three-dimensional dataset rather than flattened projections. There is no compression at any stage.
Koning reports the scan takes under ten seconds of exposure per breast, at radiation dose levels measured in the range of diagnostic mammograms. The same platform performs 3D-guided biopsy, for which Koning also holds PMA approval, and Koning reports its biopsy imaging dose as roughly half that of stereotactic biopsy.
The company has been developing cone beam CT for more than two decades and holds over 120 patents globally. It reports more than 150,000 patient scans worldwide to date.
- What the device is
- Koning Breast CT (CBCT1000) is a cone beam computed tomography system intended to provide three-dimensional images for diagnostic imaging of the breast.
- How it is to be used
- Koning Breast CT should be read along with standard 2-view mammography, meaning the craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique views.
- Regulatory route
- Premarket Approval, the FDA’s most demanding device pathway, granted for the breast CT system and for 3D-guided biopsy. Initial FDA clearance of model KBCT 1000 in February 2015, with the enhanced commercial version approved in 2017.
- Billing
- The American Medical Association issued six dedicated CPT codes for breast CT effective January 2021. Koning reports these are accepted by both public and private payers. Coverage in any individual case still depends on your plan.
- Screening
- Not an approved indication. Koning describes pursuing one as a current project.
Who tends to ask about this, and who should not bother
Your physician decides. These are the conversations that come up most often.
Worth raising with your specialist
- You have been called back after a mammogram and further diagnostic imaging is being planned
- You have dense breast tissue and your physician is discussing supplemental imaging
- You have implants and are concerned about compression
- Pain from compression has caused you to delay or avoid imaging in the past
- A 3D-guided biopsy is being considered
Not what this is
- A way to skip your routine screening mammogram. It is not approved for screening.
- Something you can self-refer to. Diagnostic imaging requires a clinician’s order.
- Widely available. Centers offering it are limited, and there may not be one near you.
- A reason to delay being seen. If something has changed in your breast, book an appointment today.
Specialist first, order second, center third
See a breast specialist
Book a board-certified breast surgeon, women’s health specialist or radiologist on UberDoc. Flat price shown before you book, no referral needed, usually within days. Bring your prior imaging if you have it.
On UberDocDecide together, get the order
Your specialist assesses your risk, your density and your history, and decides what imaging is appropriate. If breast CT is part of that plan they write the order. Often it will not be, and that is a real answer too.
At your visitFind a center
Koning maintains a directory of centers with the technology installed. Availability is limited, so check what is near you before you plan around it. The center handles scheduling and pricing directly.
With KoningThe center directory opens koninghealth.com in a new tab. Centers are independent facilities. Scheduling, pricing, insurance and the imaging itself are handled by the center, not by Koning and not by UberDoc.
Where this sits among breast imaging options
A simplified map, not clinical guidance. Your specialist works from your actual risk profile, density and history.
| Modality | Typically used for | Compression | Replaces a screening mammogram? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screening mammography | Routine screening at guideline intervals | Yes | It is the screening standard |
| Digital breast tomosynthesis | Screening and diagnostic, often with dense tissue | Yes | Used as or with screening mammography |
| Koning Vera Breast CT | Diagnostic breast imaging, and 3D-guided biopsy | None | No. Read along with standard 2-view mammography |
| Breast ultrasound | Supplemental imaging, characterising a finding | No | No, supplemental |
| Breast MRI | High-risk screening, staging, problem solving | No | Supplemental in defined high-risk groups |
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have breast CT instead of a mammogram?
No. Koning’s approved indication is for diagnostic imaging of the breast and states that Koning Breast CT should be read along with standard 2-view mammography. It is not approved as a screening test, and Koning describes a screening indication as a project still in development rather than something it holds today. Anyone telling you this replaces your screening mammogram is going beyond what the approval says.
Does it really involve no compression?
That is the central design difference. The breast hangs freely while a cone beam X-ray source rotates around it, so there is no compression at any stage. Koning’s stated motivation is that compression pain leads a meaningful number of women to skip imaging altogether.
What about radiation?
Koning reports the radiation dose of Vera as measured in the same range as diagnostic mammograms, and reports its biopsy imaging dose as around half that of stereotactic biopsy. Dose questions specific to you belong with the radiologist at the center performing the study.
Will my insurance cover it?
Six dedicated CPT codes for breast CT took effect in January 2021, and Koning reports acceptance by both public and private payers. That is not the same as coverage in your case, which depends on your plan, your indication and the center’s contracts. Ask the center to verify benefits before you go.
Is it available near me?
Possibly not. Installed centers are limited, so check the Koning directory before you build a plan around it. If there is nothing nearby, your specialist has other good options and will talk you through them.
Is Koning a healthcare provider?
No. Koning manufactures the device. The imaging is performed by independent centers and interpreted by their radiologists. Your care relationship is with the center and your physician, not with the manufacturer and not with UberDoc.
Does UberDoc earn anything from this?
UberDoc earns its fee on the specialist consultation you book here, the same as any other visit on the platform. UberDoc does not sell, distribute or service imaging equipment, and does not receive payment from you or from a center for the imaging itself. Any commercial arrangement with a technology partner will be disclosed on this page if one exists.
Are you a breast specialist or an imaging center?
List on UberDoc to reach direct-pay patients who need to be seen quickly, at your own price and on your own terms.
Explore UberDoc for PhysiciansConsidering the technology?
Equipment enquiries go to Koning directly. UberDoc is not a distributor and does not sell capital equipment.
Contact Koning Health