Full field mammography with tissue exposure control, tomosynthesis, and dynamic field of view processing
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A fused tomosynthesis/mammography system comprising:
- an x-ray source mounted for movement along a tomosynthesis trajectory and between mammography imaging positions;
said x-ray source emitting imaging x-rays while moving along said tomosynthesis trajectory, and emitting imaging x-rays while stationary at said mammography imaging positions;
compression surfaces configured to immobilize a patient'"'"'s breast;
an imaging receptor mounted to receive said imaging x-rays, after passage thereof through the compression surfaces, both when the x-ray source is emitting the imaging x-rays in the course of moving along said tomosynthesis trajectory and when the source is emitting the imaging x-rays while at said mammography imaging positions;
an anti-scatter grid mounted to reside between the compression surfaces and the imaging receptor when the x-ray source is emitting x-rays while at said mammography imaging positions such that the imaging x-rays from the source pass through said grid, but to be decoupled from the imaging receptor when the x-ray source is emitting the imaging x-rays while moving along said tomosynthesis trajectory; and
the system being configured to operate in a tomosynthesis mode in which the x-ray source emits the imaging x-rays while moving along the tomosynthesis trajectory or in a mammography mode in which the x-ray source emits the imaging x-rays while stationary in one or more of said mammography imaging positions.
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Abstract
A mammography system using a tissue exposure control relying on estimates of the thickness of the compressed and immobilized breast and of breast density to automatically derive one or more technic factors. The system further uses a tomosynthesis arrangement that maintains the focus of an anti-scatter grid on the x-ray source and also maintains the field of view of the x-ray receptor. Finally, the system finds an outline that forms a reduced field of view that still encompasses the breast in the image, and uses for further processing, transmission or archival storage the data within said reduced field of view.
95 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A fused tomosynthesis/mammography system comprising:
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an x-ray source mounted for movement along a tomosynthesis trajectory and between mammography imaging positions; said x-ray source emitting imaging x-rays while moving along said tomosynthesis trajectory, and emitting imaging x-rays while stationary at said mammography imaging positions; compression surfaces configured to immobilize a patient'"'"'s breast; an imaging receptor mounted to receive said imaging x-rays, after passage thereof through the compression surfaces, both when the x-ray source is emitting the imaging x-rays in the course of moving along said tomosynthesis trajectory and when the source is emitting the imaging x-rays while at said mammography imaging positions; an anti-scatter grid mounted to reside between the compression surfaces and the imaging receptor when the x-ray source is emitting x-rays while at said mammography imaging positions such that the imaging x-rays from the source pass through said grid, but to be decoupled from the imaging receptor when the x-ray source is emitting the imaging x-rays while moving along said tomosynthesis trajectory; and the system being configured to operate in a tomosynthesis mode in which the x-ray source emits the imaging x-rays while moving along the tomosynthesis trajectory or in a mammography mode in which the x-ray source emits the imaging x-rays while stationary in one or more of said mammography imaging positions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system selectively operable in a tomosynthesis mode and in a mammography mode, comprising:
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an x-ray tube, an x-ray imaging receptor and a breast immobizer, all mounted to rotate as a unit when the system is operating in said mammography mode but with the tube and receptor being decoupled from the breast immobilizer when the system is operating in the tomosynthesis mode to thereby move relative to the breast immobilizer while the latter remains stationary; an anti-scatter grid mounted between the breast immobilizer and the x-ray imager at least when the system is operating in said mammography mode to thereby reduce scatter effects when imaging a patient'"'"'s breast in said mammography mode; and said system being configured to operate selectively in the tomosynthesis mode in which the x-ray source emits imaging x-rays while moving along a tomosynthesis trajectory relative to the breast immobilizer or in the mammography mode in which the x-ray source emits imaging x-rays while stationary in each of one or more mammography imaging positions. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 21, 22)
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16. A method of selectively operating an x-ray breast imaging system in a tomosynthesis mode and in a mammography mode, said system comprising an x-ray tube, an x-ray imaging receptor, a breast immobilizer between the tube and the receptor, and an anti-scatter grid, and said method comprising:
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rotating said x-ray tube, x-ray imaging receptor and breast immobizer as a unit between different mammography positions for imaging a patient'"'"'s breast when the system is operating in said mammography mode; decoupling the breast immobilizer from the tube and receptor and moving the tube and receptor relative to the breast immobilizer between different tomosynthesis positions for imaging a patient'"'"'s breast when the system is operating in the tomosynthesis mode; positioning said anti-scatter grid that is between the breast immobilizer and the x-ray imager at least when the system is operating in said mammography mode such that breast imaging x-rays pass through the grid; and selectively causing the system to operate in the tomosynthesis mode in which the x-ray source emits imaging x-rays while moving along a tomosynthesis trajectory relative to the breast immobilizer, and in the mammography mode in which the x-ray source emits imaging x-rays while stationary in each of one or more mammography imaging positions. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification