Image handling and display in x-ray mammography and tomosynthesis
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of displaying x-ray images of a patient'"'"'s breast including:
- selectively providing reconstructed slice images Tr that conform to a first set of respective imaging planes that are parallel to each other but are at different depths in the patient'"'"'s breast and a second set of slice images Tr that conform to a second set of respective imaging planes that also are parallel to each other but are at respective different depths in the patient'"'"'s breast, where the two sets of imaging planes are angled to each other, andselectively scrolling though pairs of stereoscopically displayed Tr images, each pair comprising one Tr image from each set.
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Abstract
A method and system for acquiring, processing, storing, and displaying x-ray mammograms Mp tomosynthesis images Tr representative of breast slices, and x-ray tomosynthesis projection images Tp taken at different angles to a breast, where the Tr images are reconstructed from Tp images.
171 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of displaying x-ray images of a patient'"'"'s breast including:
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selectively providing reconstructed slice images Tr that conform to a first set of respective imaging planes that are parallel to each other but are at different depths in the patient'"'"'s breast and a second set of slice images Tr that conform to a second set of respective imaging planes that also are parallel to each other but are at respective different depths in the patient'"'"'s breast, where the two sets of imaging planes are angled to each other, and selectively scrolling though pairs of stereoscopically displayed Tr images, each pair comprising one Tr image from each set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of displaying x-ray images of a patient'"'"'s breast including:
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providing a plurality of projection images Tp of the patient'"'"'s breast acquired at respective different angles of an imaging x-ray beam relative to the breast while the breast remains essentially immobilized; selecting multiple pairs of said projection images Tp, each pair comprising images Tp taken at two different angles of said imaging x-ray beam relative to the patient'"'"'s breast; and
selectively displaying said pairs of projection images Tp such that both images of at least one pair are visible at the same time but different pairs or sets of pairs are visible at different times;wherein said images Tp are acquired at respective successive angles of said imaging beam relative to the breast and said selecting comprises including, in each of said pairs, two images Tp acquired at angles that are spaced from each other by at least one angle at which another of said images Tp was acquired. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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10. A method of displaying x-ray images of a patient'"'"'s breast including:
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providing a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images Tp of the patient'"'"'s breast by imaging the breast with an imaging beam of x-rays directed along different directions when acquiring different ones of the Tp images, and at least one projection mammogram image Mp of the breast; providing reconstructed tomosynthesis images Tr each representing a respective 3-dimensional slice of the patient'"'"'s breast and derived through computer processing at least a subset of said projection images Tp; providing CAD marks indicative of suspected abnormalities in the breast, said CAD marks being derived by computer processing at least some of said images Tp, Tr and Mp; displaying said images Tp, Tr and Mp by concurrently showing to a viewer at least two of said images in a combination comprising at least one Tr image and at least one Tp image, or at least one Tr image and at least one Mp image, or at least one Tp image and at least one Mp image; and selectively showing said CAD marks on the displayed images. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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an x-ray data acquisition unit providing a plurality of tomosynthesis projection images Tp of the patient'"'"'s breast by imaging the breast with an imaging beam of x-rays directed along different directions when acquiring different ones of the Tp images, and at least one projection mammogram image Mp of the breast; a processing and image reconstruction unit configured to provide reconstructed tomosynthesis images Tr each representing a respective 3-dimensional slice of the patient'"'"'s breast and each derived through computer processing at least a subset of said projection images Tp; said processing and image reconstruction unit being further configured to process one or more of said images Tp, Tr an Mp to provide CAD marks indicative of suspected abnormalities in the breast; and image display unit configured to display selected ones of said images Tp, Tr and Mp by concurrently showing to a viewer at least two of said images in a combination comprising at least one Tr image and at least one Tp image, or at least one Tr image and at least one Mp image, or at least one Tp image and at least one Mp image; and said image display unit further being configured to selectively show said CAD marks on the displayed images. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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Specification