Breast scanning system
First Claim
1. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
- a) a bath configured to contain a medium;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a horizontal table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) the table and the bath being linearly vertically displaceable with respect to one another between
1) a lowered position where the table is adjacent the bath configured to position the breast within the bath, and
2) a raised position where the table is spaced-above the bath configured to elevate the breast above the bath; and
e) means for maintaining the table in the raised position with the table spaced-above the bath.
10 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A breast scanning system scans a breast of a patient with transducer arrays that transmit and receive ultrasound signals in a bath containing a medium, such as a liquid. A table is disposable over the bath to receive the patient thereon, and has an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough and into the bath. The table is linearly vertically displaceable with respect to the bath. The system includes a preconditioning tank to precondition the liquid prior to being introduced into the bath. The bath includes means for securing the breast within the bath.
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Citations
84 Claims
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1. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a medium;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a horizontal table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) the table and the bath being linearly vertically displaceable with respect to one another between
1) a lowered position where the table is adjacent the bath configured to position the breast within the bath, and
2) a raised position where the table is spaced-above the bath configured to elevate the breast above the bath; and
e) means for maintaining the table in the raised position with the table spaced-above the bath. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a liquid;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough;
d) a preconditioning tank, fluidly coupled to the bath, configured to precondition the liquid prior to being introduced into the bath; and
e) means for transferring liquid from the preconditioning tank to the bath. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a medium;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) means for securing the breast within the bath. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a medium;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) a plurality of table inserts, each insertable into the table and each having a different sized aperture formed therein. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45)
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46. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a medium;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) an annular projection, formed around the aperture in the table, and extending beyond a lower surface of the table. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49)
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50. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a medium;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) a counter-bore, formed in a lower surface of the table around the aperture, sized to receive an upper portion of the bath when the table is in the lowered position. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53)
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54. A breast scanning system configured to scan a breast of a patient, comprising:
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a) a bath configured to contain a liquid;
b) transducer arrays, disposable in the bath, configured to transmit and receive ultrasound signals;
c) a table, disposable over the bath, configured to receive the patient thereon, having an aperture formed in the table and positionable over the bath configured to receive the breast of the patient pendent therethrough; and
d) an annular channel, disposed around an upper edge of the bath. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58)
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59. A method for preparing a breast of a patient for scanning, comprising the steps of:
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a) positioning the patient on a horizontal table;
b) disposing the breast through an aperture in the table;
c) linearly vertically displacing the table and a bath of medium with respect to one another to immerse the breast into the medium; and
d) scanning the breast with ultrasound signals from transducer arrays. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. A method for preparing a breast of a patient for scanning, comprising the steps of:
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a) preconditioning a liquid in a tank;
b) transferring the liquid from the tank to a bath;
c) positioning the patient on a table over the bath;
d) disposing the breast through an aperture in the table and into the bath; and
e) scanning the breast with ultrasound signals from transducer arrays. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. A method for preparing a breast of a patient for scanning, comprising the steps of:
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a) securing a breast magnet to the breast;
b) positioning the patient on a table;
c) disposing the breast through an aperture in the table;
d) securing the breast within the bath; and
e) scanning the breast with transducer arrays. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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84. A method for preparing a breast of a patient for scanning, comprising the steps of:
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a) positioning the patient on a table;
b) disposing the breast through an aperture in the table;
c) immersing the breast into medium in a bath;
d) initially more rapidly scanning a larger length of the breast with ultrasound signals from transducer arrays to identify an area of interest in the breast; and
e) subsequently more slowly scanning a smaller length of the breast around the area of interest with ultrasound signals from the transducer arrays.
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Specification