Cassette carrier adaptable in size and position for mammography

• US 4,989,227 A
• Filed: 03/23/1990
• Issued: 01/29/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: General Electric CGR SA (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: General Electric CGR SA (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Tirelli, Marco, Rapeau, Jean-Claude, Rouchy, Didier
• Primary Examiner(s): Church, Craig E.
• Application Number:
  US07/497,709
• Time in Patent Office: 312 Days
• Field of Search: 378/177, 378/181
• US Class Current: 378/177
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 42/025 Positioning or masking the X-ray film cartridge in the radiographic apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to mammographs, and more particularly to a device enabling the mammograph to adapt to different sizes of a cassette, and to displace cassettes. The device essentially comprises a sliding member which, when moved, changes the distance between holding pegs to match new lateral dimensions of a the cassette while still pressing the cassette against a reference edge of the table. In addition, the sliding member is carried on a plate member which moves in such a manner that one or other of the side edges of the cassette can be brought into alignment with the corresponding side of the table.

Claims

1. A cassette carrier for supporting a cassette on a table, the cassette containing at least one sensitive film, and the cassette carrier comprising :

a plate member which is mounted to move relative to the table in a first direction by virtue of a first displacement mechanism;

a sliding member which is mounted to move relative to the plate member by virtue of a second displacement mechanism and in a second direction perpendicular to the first; and

means associated with the sliding member holding the cassette in position relative to the plate member and for adapting to the dimensions of the cassette, Wherein said first displacement mechanism comprises at least two guides slidably supporting tabs integral with the plate member, one of the guides being threaded and co- operating with a drive nut in such a manner that rotation of the threaded guide causes the plate member to be displaced in a desired direction, the second guide being smooth.

3. A cassette carrier according to claim 1, wherein said second displacement mechanism comprises at least one guide integral with the plate member and disposed perpendicularly to the guides of the first displacement mechanism and on which the sliding member slides so as to take up at least two positions each corresponding to a locking groove carried by said guide and co-operating with locking/unlocking means carried by the sliding member.

2. A cassette carrier according to claim wherein said first displacement mechanism further includes a motor which rotates said threaded guide.

4. A cassette carrier according to claim I, wherein said means associated with the sliding member for holding the cassette comprise two holding pegs carried by respective arms (41, 42) carried by the sliding member and grasping two of the four corners of the cassette, each of said arms including a pin which co-operates each with a first slot formed in the sliding member and with a second slot formed in the sliding member such that displacement of the sliding member changes the distance between the holding pegs in order to adapt to the dimensions of the cassette.