X-RAY MAMMOGRAPHY WITH TOMOSYNTHESIS

• US 20180344276A1
• Filed: 06/08/2018
• Published: 12/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hologic Incorporated
• Inventors: DeFreitas, Kenneth, Ren, Baorui, SHAW, Ian, RUTH, Christopher, SMITH, Andrew P., STEIN, Jay A.
• Granted Patent: US 11,096,644 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/025 Tomosynthesis
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/0414 with compression means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/12 Arrangements for detecting or locating foreign bodies
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4291 the detector being combined with a grid or grating
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/4441 the rigid structure being a C-arm or U-arm
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/464 involving a plurality of displays
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/481 involving the use of contrast agents
• 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 method and system for producing tomosynthetic images of a patient'"'"'s breast. An x-ray source that delivers x-rays through a breast immobilized and compressed between a compression paddle and a breast platform and form an image at a digital x-ray receptor panel. Multiple x-ray images are taken as the x-ray source and the receptor move relative to the immobilized breast. In one preferred embodiment, the x-ray source travels from −15° to +15°. The source can travel in an arc around the breast while the receptor travels linearly while remaining parallel and at the same distance from the breast platform. The sets of x-ray image data taken at different angles are combined to form tomosynthetic images that can be viewed in different formats, alone or as an adjunct to conventional mammograms.

Claims

1-56. -56. (canceled)

57. A method comprising:

providing an x-ray source configured to move relative to a patient'"'"'s breast, a flat panel digital x-ray imager, and a breast support and a compression paddle positioned between the x-ray source and the x-ray imager, wherein the compression paddle is configured for compressing the breast against the breast support;

compressing the patient'"'"'s breast between the compression paddle and the breast support;

selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit a plurality of first x-rays through the breast to the imager at a plurality of first x-ray doses;

controlling the imager to derive from the plurality of first x-rays a set of x-ray images of the breast;

receiving a signal identifying an area of interest in the set of x-ray images;

identifying a position within the compressed breast of the area of interest;

selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit a second x-ray through the breast to the imager at a second x-ray dose, wherein the second x-ray dose is different than each of the plurality of first x-ray doses; and

performing a needle biopsy on the area of interest.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein the set of x-ray images comprise a plurality of tomosynthesis x-ray images.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising controlling the imager to derive from the second x-ray a two-dimensional image of the breast.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein the two-dimensional image of the breast is derived from the second x-ray emitted when the x-ray source is at an angle of about +15°

to the breast support.

61. The method of claim 59, wherein the two-dimensional image of the breast is derived from the second x-ray emitted when the x-ray source is at an angle of about 0°

to the breast support.

62. The method of claim 59, wherein two-dimensional image of the breast comprises a plurality of two-dimensional images of the breast.

63. The method of claim 57, wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the second x-ray is performed prior to performing the needle biopsy.

64. The method of claim 57, wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the second x-ray is performed prior to selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the plurality of first x-rays.

65. The method of claim 57, wherein receiving the signal identifying the area of interest in the set of x-ray images comprises receiving a user selection associated with at least one x-ray image of the set of x-ray images.

66. The method of claim 57, wherein each of the plurality of first x-ray doses are less than the second x-ray dose.

67. A method comprising:

providing an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray imager, a breast support and a compression paddle positioned between the source and the imager, and a motor drive for rotating the x-ray source white performing a tomosynthesis imaging procedure, wherein the compression paddle is configured for compressing the breast against the breast support;

compressing the patient'"'"'s breast between the compression paddle and the breast support;

selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit at least one of (1) a plurality of first x-rays through the breast to the imager at a plurality of first x-ray doses, wherein emitting the plurality of first x-rays comprises performing the tomosynthesis imaging procedure, and (2) a second x-ray through the breast to the imager at a second x-ray dose, wherein each of the plurality of first x-ray doses is different than the second x-ray dose;

controlling the imager to derive from at least one of the plurality of first x-rays and the second x-ray at least one x-ray image;

receiving a signal identifying an area of interest in the compressed breast;

identifying a position within the compressed breast of the area of interest; and

performing a needle biopsy on the area of interest.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source comprises emitting the plurality of first x-rays through the breast to the imager at the plurality of first x-ray doses.

69. The method of claim 67, wherein receiving the signal identifying the area of interest in the compressed breast comprises receiving a user input associated with the at least one x-ray image.

70. The method of claim 67, further comprising providing an anti-scatter grid and positioning the anti-scatter grid based at least in part on the emission of at least one of the (1) plurality of first x-rays and (2) the second x-ray.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein positioning the anti-scatter grid comprises positioning the anti-scatter grid between the x-ray source and the x-ray imager when emitting the plurality of first x-rays.

72. The method of claim 67, wherein identifying the position within the compressed breast of the area of interest is performed before selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the first x-ray.

73. The method of claim 67, wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source comprises emitting the second x-ray prior to emitting the plurality of first x-rays.

74. The method of claim 67, wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source comprises emitting a first number of the first x-rays, followed by emitting the second x-ray, followed by emitting a second number of the first x-rays.

75. The method of claim 67, wherein each of the plurality of first x-ray doses are each less than the second x-ray dose.

76. The method of claim 67, wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the second x-ray occurs prior to performing the needle biopsy.