Enhanced high resolution breast imaging device and method utilizing non-ionizing radiation of narrow spectral bandwidth
First Claim
1. A mammography imaging apparatus using non-ionizing radiation comprising:
- at least one source of non-ionizing radiation of relatively narrow spectral bandwidth disposed such that the radiation from said at least one source will be incident on a portion of the breast to be scanned,at least one radiation detector disposed so as to detect radiation having passed through the portion of the breast to be scanned,a collimator corresponding to each detector and adapted to be disposed between the portion of the breast to be scanned and each detector,a radiation imager for translating said detected radiation into a mammography image, anda structure for enabling shaping at least a region of the breast and for providing compression to the breast, said structure being positionable adjacent the breast, and said structure having at least one open region enabling access to a surface of the breast, the surface of the breast accessible through said at least at least one open region substantially defining a plane wherein the structure is configured to provide compression to the breast in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane of the surface of the breast accessible through said at least one open region.
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for high resolution breast imaging using collimated non-ionizing acoustic radiation and electromagnetic radiation in the near ultraviolet, visible, infrared and microwave regions (i.e. "light") rather than ionizing x-radiation. The light used is of a narrow spectral bandwidth in that the optical properties of interest are relatively uniform over the bandwidth. The incident collimated light is transmitted through and backscattered out of a breast. Normal and diseased breast materials exhibit comparatively distinct characteristics when exposed to radiation and are thereby differentiated. Collimation can also be used to control the level of scattered radiation. Radiation coupling materials can be employed during image acquisition to enhance radiation coupling into and out of the breast as well as providing desirable absorption and scattering properties. Additional scatter reduction and/or improved sensitivity can be attained by compressing a region of the breast using contoured and/or flat compression plates of various sizes which may include an open region allowing access to the surface of the breast for irradiating a portion of the breast. An acoustic field can be introduced into a volume of breast tissue altering its optical qualities. These changes can be recorded by intersecting an optical field with the acoustic field, providing spatial information and tissue characterization.
214 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A mammography imaging apparatus using non-ionizing radiation comprising:
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at least one source of non-ionizing radiation of relatively narrow spectral bandwidth disposed such that the radiation from said at least one source will be incident on a portion of the breast to be scanned, at least one radiation detector disposed so as to detect radiation having passed through the portion of the breast to be scanned, a collimator corresponding to each detector and adapted to be disposed between the portion of the breast to be scanned and each detector, a radiation imager for translating said detected radiation into a mammography image, and a structure for enabling shaping at least a region of the breast and for providing compression to the breast, said structure being positionable adjacent the breast, and said structure having at least one open region enabling access to a surface of the breast, the surface of the breast accessible through said at least at least one open region substantially defining a plane wherein the structure is configured to provide compression to the breast in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane of the surface of the breast accessible through said at least one open region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for obtaining mammography images of a portion of the breast using non-ionizing radiation comprising the steps of:
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(1) positioning a structure for enabling shaping at least a region of the breast and for providing compression to the breast proximate to the breast to be scanned, said structure having at least one open region enabling access to a surface of the breast the surface of the breast accessible through said at least one open region substantially defining a plane; (2) compressing the breast with the structure in a direction substantially perpendicular to said plane the surface of the breast accessible through said at least one open region; (3) irradiating the portion of the breast with non-ionizing radiation of a relatively narrow spectral bandwidth, said radiation incident on the portion of the breast at a plurality of angles; (4) allowing the radiation to transmit through the portion of the breast; (5) collimating the radiation; (6) detecting at least one of transmitted radiation, backscattered radiation, virtual collimated transmitted radiation, virtual collimated backscattered radiation, radiation due to emission fluorescence, radiation due to Raman scattering, and radiation due to Doppler scattering with a radiation detector; and (7) translating the detected radiation into a mammography image of the portion of the breast. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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Specification