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Mammography system and method employing offset compression paddles, automatic collimations, and retractable anti-scatter grid

  • US 7,609,806 B2
  • Filed: 01/15/2008
  • Issued: 10/27/2009
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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.

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