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:
- a compression arm assembly for compressing and immobilizing a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging;
an x-ray assembly; and
an x-ray image receptor;
wherein said compression arm assembly, said x-ray tube assembly and said x-ray image receptor are configured for movement to accommodate a plurality of imaging protocols and modes, and are angled relative to each other for different ones of said imaging protocols and modes; and
wherein said system is configured to deliver substantially lower x-ray dose to the patient'"'"'s breast in taking a projection x-ray image of the breast when operating in a first one or said imaging modes than when operating in a second one of said imaging modes.
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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.
220 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging, comprising:
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a compression arm assembly for compressing and immobilizing a patient'"'"'s breast for x-ray imaging; an x-ray assembly; and an x-ray image receptor; wherein said compression arm assembly, said x-ray tube assembly and said x-ray image receptor are configured for movement to accommodate a plurality of imaging protocols and modes, and are angled relative to each other for different ones of said imaging protocols and modes; and wherein said system is configured to deliver substantially lower x-ray dose to the patient'"'"'s breast in taking a projection x-ray image of the breast when operating in a first one or said imaging modes than when operating in a second one of said imaging modes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. An x-ray breast imaging system comprising:
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an x-ray source, an x-ray imaging receptor, and a breast immobilizer between the source and receptor; said source being configured to selectively emit an imaging x-ray beam that passes through the breast immobilizer and impinges on the receptor, and the receptor being configured to generate a projection x-ray image in response to the imaging beam; said system being configured to operate in a first imaging mode in which the system takes a first projection x-ray image at a selected first position of the x-ray source relative to the breast immobilizer and in a second imaging mode in which the system takes a plural projection images each taken at a different position of the source relative to the breast immobilizer; wherein the x-ray dose for one of the plural projection images is substantially lower than for said first projection image. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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8. The system of claim in which the plural images comprise at least 11 tomosynthesis projection images.
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21. A multi-mode breast x-ray imaging system comprising:
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an x-ray source, an x-ray imaging receptor, and a breast immobilizer between the source and receptor; said system being configured to change, in response to operator selection, from one to the other of (a) a standard mammography mode in which the source, immobilizer and receptor are mounted for rotation as a unit, and (b) a tomosynthesis mode in which the source and receptor are mounted for rotation relative to the immobilizer; and said system being further configured to take a standard mammogram in said mammogram mode but to take plural tomosynthesis projection images in said tomosynthesis mode during a single immobilization of a patient'"'"'s breast. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification