Breast cancer screening with adjunctive ultrasound mammography
First Claim
1. A method of ultrasound examination of a patient'"'"'s breast, comprising:
- compressing the patient'"'"'s breast along a compression direction by exerting a compressive force;
acquiring image data representing a plurality of thin-slice ultrasound images by scanning the patient'"'"'s breast in an automated scanning process in a scanning direction with an ultrasound transducer that is long in a direction transverse to the scanning direction, wherein;
said thin-slice images conform to respective planes that are generally along the compression direction; and
each of said thin-slice images represents an image of a thin slice of the patient'"'"'s breast;
computer-processing the image data representing said thin-slice images into image data representing a plurality of thick-slice images that are fewer in number than said thin slices, wherein;
said thick-slice images conform to respective planes that are transverse to said compression direction; and
each of said thick-slice images represents a thick slice of the patient'"'"'s breast that is thicker than a slice represented by one of said thin-slice images; and
displaying a plurality of said thick-slice images on a computerized display to thereby present for viewing medical information regarding the patient'"'"'s breast in fewer displayed images than if said thin-slice images were displayed, and where each displayed image contains more information than a single thin-slice image.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Ultrasound mammography in which an automated transducer scans the patient'"'"'s breast to generate many images of thin slices that are processed into few images of thick slices that can be displayed simultaneously for practical rapid assessment of the breast. The thin-slice images can be acquired by a technician so that a physician need only spend time in assessing the few displayed thick-slice images and, possibly, only a few of the thin-slice images that might match a suspected anomaly indicated in the thick-slice images. Computer-aided detection or diagnosis (CAD) can be performed on the images and resulting mark and/or other information can be displayed as well. Vibration images can be obtained as well and similarly processed and displayed to highlight abnormalities or for other reasons.
168 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of ultrasound examination of a patient'"'"'s breast, comprising:
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compressing the patient'"'"'s breast along a compression direction by exerting a compressive force; acquiring image data representing a plurality of thin-slice ultrasound images by scanning the patient'"'"'s breast in an automated scanning process in a scanning direction with an ultrasound transducer that is long in a direction transverse to the scanning direction, wherein; said thin-slice images conform to respective planes that are generally along the compression direction; and each of said thin-slice images represents an image of a thin slice of the patient'"'"'s breast; computer-processing the image data representing said thin-slice images into image data representing a plurality of thick-slice images that are fewer in number than said thin slices, wherein; said thick-slice images conform to respective planes that are transverse to said compression direction; and each of said thick-slice images represents a thick slice of the patient'"'"'s breast that is thicker than a slice represented by one of said thin-slice images; and displaying a plurality of said thick-slice images on a computerized display to thereby present for viewing medical information regarding the patient'"'"'s breast in fewer displayed images than if said thin-slice images were displayed, and where each displayed image contains more information than a single thin-slice image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification