A unique digital imaging device includes the digital imager, a mammography machine including the digital imager, a method for processing the digital image obtained by the digital imager, a local area network (LAN) comprising a number of mammography machines and one or more work stations, and a wide area network (WAN) for transmitting digital images to remote locations. The digital imager according to the present invention comprises a large area, single exposure digital imaging device is provided that allows a number of electronic imagers to be butted together to form an array of electronic imagers large enough to image an entire breast in a single exposure. A preferred embodiment of the digital imager comprises an optical system, such as fiber optic bundles, optically coupled with the surface of the electronic imager. The optical systems may have a surface larger than the electronic sensors, and may be butted together to provide a gap-free imaging surface.