INTEGRATED MULTI-MODE MAMMOGRAPHY/TOMOSYNTHESIS X-RAY SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20110069809A1
• Filed: 11/29/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Andrew, DEFREITAS, Kenneth, Ruth, Chris, Ren, Baori, Shaw, Ian, Stein, Jay, Farbizio, Tom
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,219 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/7
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/025 Tomosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/107 Protection against radiation, e.g. shielding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4417 related to combined acquisition of different diagnostic modalities
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4452 the source unit and the detector unit being able to move relative to each other
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/482 involving multiple energy imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 2207/30068 Mammography; Breast

Abstract

A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging which comprises a compression arm assembly for compressing and immobilizing a breast for x-ray imaging, an x-ray tube assembly, and an x-ray image receptor is provided. The system is configured for a plurality of imaging protocols and modes.

Claims

1-9. -9. (canceled)

10. A breast tomosynthesis system comprising:

an x-ray source, an x-ray imaging receptor, and a receptor housing around at least a portion of the receptor and having an upper surface between the source and the receptor;

said source being supported for rotational movement relative to the receptor housing; and

said receptor being supported for rocking movement relative to the upper surface of the receptor housing during said rotational movement of the source;

wherein said rocking movement of the receptor during the rotational movement of the source comprises rocking the receptor about a rocking axis that is within the housing and is intermediate the lateral extent of the receptor to move one lateral end of the receptor toward said upper surface of the housing while an opposite lateral end of the receptor is moving away from said upper surface of the housing.

11. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a rotational mechanism causing said rotational movement of the source and a rocking mechanism causing said rocking movement of the receptor;

wherein said rotational and rocking movements are synchronized.

12. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a first support arm supporting said x-ray source;

a second support arm supporting said receptor housing and receptor; and

a locking mechanism selectively locking the first and second support arms for rotation as a unit and unlocking the first and second support arms for rotation of at least one relative to the other.

13. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

an anti-scatter grid; and

a grid drive for selectively positioning the grid in a first position between the receptor and the upper surface of the receptor housing and removing the grid from said first position.

14. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 13 further comprising:

a motor operating said grid drive.

15. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a compression paddle mounted between the receptor housing and the source for tilting against a bias relative to the receptor housing in first selected imaging modes.

16. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 15 in which the compression paddle is locked against tilting in second selected imaging modes.

17. The tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a compression paddle mounted for movement toward the receptor to compress a patient'"'"'s breast and for lateral movement relative to the receptor to offset the paddle.

18. The tomosynthesis system of claim 17 further comprising:

a motor selectively driving the paddle in said lateral movement thereof.

19. The tomosynthesis system of claim 17 further comprising:

a shifting mechanism causing automatic lateral movement of the compression paddle depending on a view to be acquired.

20. The tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a paddle support mounted for movement toward and away from the receptor housing; and

a compression paddle removably mounted to the paddle support for movement therewith toward and away from the receptor housing and for lateral movement relative to the paddle support.

21. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a first support arm supporting the source;

a second support arm supporting the receptor and the receptor housing;

said first and second support arms being mounted for selective rotation of at least one relative to the other.

22. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 21 in which the selective rotation of at least one of the first and second support arms relative to the other is about a common axis.

23. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a needle biopsy stage between the source and the receptor housing.

24. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 further comprising:

a computerized work station coupled with the source and receptor to command the operation mode thereof and to process image data generated by the receptor.

25. The breast tomosynthesis system of claim 10 in which said receptor housing encloses the x-ray imaging receptor.

26. A breast tomosynthesis method comprising:

selectively locking to each other a first support arm supporting a source of an x-ray beam and a second arm supporting an x-ray imaging receptor for rotation as a unit and unlocking the first and second arm from each other for individual rotation of at least one of the arms relative to the other;

selectively rocking the imaging receptor relative to the second support arm while rotating the first support arm;

wherein said rocking movement of the receptor while rotating the first support arm comprises rocking the receptor about a rocking axis intermediate the lateral extent of the receptor to move one lateral end of the receptor toward the source of the x-ray beam while an opposite lateral end of the receptor is moving away from the source of the x-ray beam;

acquiring projection x-ray image data from the receptor while rotating the source support arm and rocking the image receptor; and

computer-processing the image data into images for display and selectively displaying at least some of the images.

27. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising synchronizing the rotational movement of the source and aid rocking movement of the receptor.

28. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising selectively locking the first and the second support arms for rotation as a unit and unlocking at least one of the first and second arms relative to the other for relative rotation between the two arms.

29. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising selectively positioning an anti-scatter grid in a first position between the receptor and an upper surface of a receptor housing and removing the grid from said first position.

30. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 29 further comprising driving said grid to and out of said first position with a motor.

31. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising providing a compression paddle mounted between the receptor and the source for tilting against a bias relative to the receptor in first selected imaging modes.

32. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 31 further comprising locking the compression paddle against tilting in second selected imaging modes.

33. The tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising mounting a compression paddle for movement toward the receptor to compress a patient'"'"'s breast and for lateral movement relative to the receptor to offset the paddle.

34. The tomosynthesis method of claim 33 further comprising selectively driving the paddle in said lateral movement thereof with a motor.

35. The tomosynthesis method of claim 33 further comprising providing a shifting mechanism causing automatic lateral movement of the compression paddle depending on a view to be acquired.

36. The tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising providing a paddle support mounted for movement toward and away from the receptor and a compression paddle removably mounted to the paddle support for movement therewith toward and away from the receptor and for lateral movement relative to the paddle support.

37. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 including mounting said first and second arms for rotation relative to the other about a common axis.

38. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising mounting a needle biopsy stage between the source and the receptor.

39. The breast tomosynthesis method of claim 26 further comprising providing a computerized work station coupled with the source and receptor to command the operation mode thereof and to process image data generated by the receptor.