Mammography system and method employing offset compression paddles, automatic collimations, and retractable anti-scatter grid
First Claim
1. A system for imaging a patient'"'"'s breast with x-rays comprising:
- a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge;
an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor,a breast platform for supporting a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging;
a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement at least (a) along a direction of said proximal edge before compressing a patient'"'"'s breast against the breast platform and (b) along a direction of said beam to thereafter compress the breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and to release the breast after said imaging;
wherein at least for selected breast x-ray protocols a patient'"'"'s breast is positioned off-center relative to said proximal edge and said paddle also is positioned off-center relative the proximal edge, according to said off-center position of the breast, to compress the breast against the breast platform and toward the receptor for x-ray imaging; and
an anti-scatter grid mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor for selective movement relative to the x-ray receptor and the breast platform between a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid and a second position in which said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A mammographic imaging system is optimized for use with a single fixed size flat panel digital image receptor. It accommodates compression devices (paddles) of varying sizes, and positions them properly in the field of view of the image receptor. When a compression paddle with size smaller than the field of view of the image receptor is used, the compression paddle can be shifted laterally in the direction parallel to the chest wall, so as to facilitate different views of different size breasts, and permit the image receptor to image as much of the desired tissue as possible. An automatic x-ray collimator restricts the x-ray illumination of the breast in accordance with compression paddle size and location in the field of view. An anti-scatter grid, mounted inside the image receptor enclosure, just below the top cover of the enclosure, can be retracted out of the field of view of the image receptor for use in magnification imaging.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A system for imaging a patient'"'"'s breast with x-rays comprising:
-
a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge; an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor, a breast platform for supporting a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging; a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement at least (a) along a direction of said proximal edge before compressing a patient'"'"'s breast against the breast platform and (b) along a direction of said beam to thereafter compress the breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and to release the breast after said imaging; wherein at least for selected breast x-ray protocols a patient'"'"'s breast is positioned off-center relative to said proximal edge and said paddle also is positioned off-center relative the proximal edge, according to said off-center position of the breast, to compress the breast against the breast platform and toward the receptor for x-ray imaging; and an anti-scatter grid mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor for selective movement relative to the x-ray receptor and the breast platform between a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid and a second position in which said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A system for imaging a patient'"'"'s breast with x-rays comprising:
-
a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge; an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor; a breast platform for supporting a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging; a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement relative to the breast platform in at least two directions, said compression paddle compressing a patient'"'"'s breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and releasing the breast from compression after said imaging, and at least a portion of said movement in each of said at least two directions taking place before the breast is in a compressed state for imaging; and an anti-scatter grid mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor For selective movement relative to the x-ray receptor and the breast platform between a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid and a second position in which said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid; said anti-scatter grid being in said first position for imaging the breast with x-rays in a first imaging mode and being in said second position for imaging the breast with x-rays in a second imaging mode that produces x-ray images of the breast different from those produced in the first imaging mode. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for imaging a patient'"'"'s breast with x-rays comprising:
-
a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge; an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor; a breast platform for supporting a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging; a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement relative to the breast platform, said compression paddle compressing a patient'"'"'s breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and releasing the breast from compression after said imaging; and an anti-scatter grid movably mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor and having a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid; said anti-scatter grid being in said first position for imaging the breast with x-rays in a first imaging mode but being out of said first position, such that said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid, for imaging the breast with x-rays in a second imaging mode that produces x-ray images of the breast different from those produced in the first imaging mode. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification