MAMMOGRAPHY DETECTOR HAVING MULTIPLE SENSORS, AND MAMMOGRAPHY DEVICE CAPABLE OF 3D IMAGE ACQUISITION

• US 20140205060A1
• Filed: 07/01/2011
• Published: 07/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vatech Ewoo Holdings Co., Ltd (Chang-Joon Ro, MBA), Rayence Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Rayence Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Woo, Kim, Chang Hyeuk
• Granted Patent: US 9,420,982 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 378/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/032 Transmission computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0414 with compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/107 Protection against radiation, e.g. shielding
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4233 using matrix detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4266 characterised by using a plurality of detector units A61B6/4014 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4283 characterised by a detector unit being housed in a cassette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4411 the apparatus being modular A61B6/4283 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4476 related to motor-assisted motion of the source unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/5235 combining images from the same or different ionising radiation imaging techniques, e.g. PET and CT

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mammography detector consisting of a mammography detector having multiple sensors, such as a high resolution sensor for detecting very small lesions, a high contrast sensor for detecting the exact size of a lesion, a mammography sensor, and a CT sensor; and to a mammography device capable of acquiring 3D images by rotating an X-ray emitting unit and the mammography detector by more than 185 degrees with respect to a breast to be examined. The mammography device includes a main body, a gantry connected to the main body so as to be capable of moving vertically, an X-ray emitting unit mounted on one end of the gantry, and an X-ray detector mounted on the opposite end of the gantry at a position opposite the X-ray emitting unit, and comprises: a first rotating means provided within the main body in order to rotate the gantry; and a pressing means for pressing the breast of a patient while the patient is standing, and including a supporting panel provided on a rotational axis of the first rotating means, and a pressing panel capable of vertical movement on the axis of rotation so as to press the breast on the supporting panel, and connected to the main body while physically separated state from the gantry. The X-ray detector includes a CT sensor, and a 3D image is acquired by rotating the gantry by at least a certain angle, with the pressing means pressing the breast of the patient.

Claims

1. A mammography device comprising:

a main body;

a gantry that is connected to the main body so as to be vertically movable;

an X-ray generator that is attached to one end of the gantry;

an X-ray detector that is attached to the other end of the gantry opposing the X-ray generator;

first rotating means that is disposed in the main body so as to rotate the gantry; and

pressing means for pressing a patient'"'"'s breast that includes a support panel located on a rotation axis line of the first rotating means and a pressing panel disposed to be vertically movable and to press a breast on the support panel and connected to the main body in a state where the pressing panel is physically separated from the gantry,

wherein the X-ray detector includes a first sensor disposed on a first surface and a second sensor disposed on a second surface opposed to the first surface and acquires a three-dimensional image while rotating the gantry by a predetermined angle or more in a state where the patient'"'"'s breast is pressed by the pressing means.

2. The mammography device according to claim 1, further comprising a readout board disposed between the first sensor and the second sensor.

3. The mammography device according to claim 2, wherein the X-ray detector further includes an X-ray shielding member that shields the readout board so as to prevent damage and interference of the readout board due to the X-rays generated by the X-ray generator.

4. The mammography device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a mammography sensor that is disposed on a first surface of the X-ray detector, and the second sensor is

a CT sensor that is disposed on a second surface of the X-ray detector so as to be opposed to the first surface,

and wherein the mammography device further comprises a readout board that is disposed between the high-definition sensor and the high-contrast sensor.

5. The mammography device according to claim 4, wherein the X-ray detector further includes X-ray shielding members that shield the readout boards so as to prevent damage and interference of the first and second readout board due to the X-rays generated by the X-ray generator.

6. The mammography device according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating means causes the gantry to rotate by 185 degrees or more.

7. The mammography device according to claim 1, further comprising:

mode setting means for setting an operation mode of the mammography device; and

second rotating means for causing a module of the X-ray detector to automatically rotate on the basis of the mode set by the mode setting means.

8. The mammography device according to claim 7, wherein the X-ray detector further includes display means that is formed on a top surface and/or a bottom surface so as to display a sensor type.

9. The mammography device according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a high-definition sensor that is disposed on a first surface so as to detect a small possible lesion, and the second sensor is a high-contrast sensor that is disposed on a second surface opposed to the first surface so as to detect an accurate size of a lesion, and wherein the mammography device further comprises a readout board that is disposed between the high-definition sensor and the high-contrast sensor.

10. The mammography device according to claim 9, wherein the detector further includes an X-ray shielding member that shields the readout board so as to prevent damage and interference of the readout board due to the X-rays generated by the X-ray generator.

11. The mammography device according to claim 1, wherein the readout board includes:

a first readout board that is connected to the high-definition sensor so as to communicate with the high-definition sensor, to control the high-definition sensor, and to read out an image signal; and

a second readout board that is connected to the high-contrast sensor so as to communicate with the high-contrast sensor, to control the high-contrast sensor, and to read out an image signal.

12. The mammography device according to claim 11, wherein mammography devices further comprises X-ray shielding members that shield the first and second readout boards so as to prevent damage and interference of the first and second readout board due to the X-rays generated by the X-ray generator.

13. The mammography device according to claim 9, wherein the high-definition image sensor has a pixel size of 50 μ

m or less and the high-contrast image sensor has a pixel size of 70 μ

m to 100 μ

m.