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Mammography apparatus with proportional collimation

  • US 5,627,869 A
  • Filed: 11/22/1995
  • Issued: 05/06/1997
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/22/1995
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A mammography apparatus comprising:

  • an X-ray source;

    an X-ray image receiver positioned to receive X-rays from the X-ray source;

    means for compressing tissue, the means being positionable between the X-ray source and the X-ray image receiver and wherein the means further providing a compression surface of predetermined dimensions;

    a beam collimator positioned between the X-ray source and the means for compressing tissue, the collimator forming an adjustable aperture;

    first indicating means for providing a signal proportional to the distance between the means for compressing tissue and the X-ray source;

    second indicating means for providing a signal proportional to the size of the compression paddle surface;

    means, responsive to the first and second indicating means, for determining the size of the aperture of the beam collimator in proportion to the indicated distance between the means for compressing tissue and the X-ray source and in proportion to the indicated size of the compression surface of predetermined dimensions; and

    means, responsive to the determining means, for adjusting the size of the beam collimator'"'"'s aperture.

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