Integrated multi-mode mammography/tomosynthesis x-ray system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging, comprising:
- an x-ray image receptor;
an x-ray tube assembly selectively emitting an x-ray beam directed toward the x-ray image receptor; and
a breast immobilizer between the x-ray tube assembly and the x-ray image receptor,wherein said x-ray tube assembly and said x-ray image receptor are supported and configured for movement according to a plurality of imaging protocols and modes, including a protocol and mode in which the x-ray tube assembly moves along a curved path through one angle relative to the breast immobilizer and the x-ray image receptor concurrently moves through a different angle, in angular extent, relative to the breast immobilizer.
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Abstract
A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging which comprises a compression arm assembly for compressing and immobilizing a breast for x-ray imaging, an x-ray tube assembly, and an x-ray image receptor is provided. The system is configured for a plurality of imaging protocols and modes.
252 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging, comprising:
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an x-ray image receptor; an x-ray tube assembly selectively emitting an x-ray beam directed toward the x-ray image receptor; and a breast immobilizer between the x-ray tube assembly and the x-ray image receptor, wherein said x-ray tube assembly and said x-ray image receptor are supported and configured for movement according to a plurality of imaging protocols and modes, including a protocol and mode in which the x-ray tube assembly moves along a curved path through one angle relative to the breast immobilizer and the x-ray image receptor concurrently moves through a different angle, in angular extent, relative to the breast immobilizer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A tomosynthesis/mammography system comprising:
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an x-ray source, a breast immobilizer, and an x-ray imaging receptor; said source, receptor and breast immobilizer being supported selectively for operation in; (a) a mammography mode in which the source, receptor and breast immobilizer rotate as a unit, and (b) a tomosynthesis mode in which the source rotates relative to the breast immobilizer and the receptor rocks relative to the breast immobilizer; and wherein in the tomosynthesis mode the angle through which the source rotates is different in angular extent from the angle through which the receptor rocks. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A breast tomosynthesis method comprising:
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selectively locking to each other a first support arm supporting a source of an x-ray beam and a second arm supporting an x-ray imaging receptor for rotation as a unit and unlocking the first and second arm from each other for individual rotation of at least one of the arms relative to the other; selectively rocking the imaging receptor relative to the second support arm while rotating the first support arm; acquiring projection x-ray image data from the receptor while rotating the source support arm and rocking the image receptor; and computer-processing the image data into images for display and selectively displaying at least some of the images; in which the acquiring step comprises selectively acquiring tomosynthesis x-ray projection image data while the receptor is rocking and mammography x-ray image data when the receptor is not rocking. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26)
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Specification