Full field mammography with tissue exposure control, tomosynthesis, and dynamic field of view processing

• US 20040101095A1
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Published: 05/27/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Inventors: Jing, Zhenxue, Smith, Andrew, Stein, Jay A., Kennedy, Donald, Hitzke, Georgia
• Granted Patent: US 7,123,684 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/025 Tomosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/06 Diaphragms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4035 the source being combined with a filter or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography

Abstract

A mammography system using a tissue exposure control relying on estimates of the thickness of the compressed and immobilized breast and of breast density to automatically derive one or more technic factors. The system further uses a tomosynthesis arrangement that maintains the focus of an anti-scatter grid on the x-ray source and also maintains the field of view of the x-ray receptor. Finally, the system finds an outline that forms a reduced field of view that still encompasses the breast in the image, and uses for further processing, transmission or archival storage the data within said reduced field of view.

Claims

1. A mammography method comprising:

compressing and immobilizing a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging;

providing information about the thickness of the immobilized breast and the density of the breast;

using the thickness and density information to automatically estimate one or more technic factors appropriate for imaging the breast with x-rays; and

using the estimated technic factors in imaging the breast.

2. A mammography method comprising:

an x-ray source and an x-ray receptor coupled with an anti-scatter grid focused on the x-ray source, and an breast compressing arrangement between the source and the grid for compressing and immobilizing a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging;

moving at least one of the source and receptor relative to the immobilized breast while maintaining the grid focused on the source and maintaining a field of view of said receptor to derive breast image data for a number of position of the source or receptor relative to the breast; and

using said data in a tomosynthesis process.

3. A mammography method comprising:

providing an image of a patient'"'"'s breast that occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor;

selecting an outline that encompasses the breast image to thereby define a reduced field of view image; and

using said reduced field of view image for further processing, transmission and/or archiving.

4. A mammography method comprising:

positioning a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging;

providing information about the thickness and the density of the breast;

using the thickness and density information to automatically estimate one or more technic factors appropriate for imaging the breast with x-rays; and

using the estimated technic factors in imaging the breast.

5. A mammography method comprising:

an x-ray source and an x-ray receptor coupled with an anti-scatter grid focused on the x-ray source, and an breast positioning arrangement between the source and the grid for positioning a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging;

moving at least one of the source and receptor relative to the breast while maintaining the grid focused on the source and maintaining a field of view of said receptor to derive breast image data for a number of position of the source or receptor relative to the breast; and

using said data in a tomosynthesis process.