Apparatus and method for rapid and comfortable magnetic imaging of breast tissues, with cultural sensitivity
AssigneeWeinberg Medical Physics LLC
InventorsIrving N. Weinberg, Aleksandar Nelson Nacev
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Abstract
Disclosed embodiments provide an apparatus and method for imaging breast tissue of a subject, wherein a subject is positioned on a structure so that at least a portion of the subject's body is supported by the structure, magnetic resonance imaging is performed on the portion of the subject's body using an MRI system including a plurality of MRI coils positioned in proximity to the structure, wherein, while the portion of the subject's body is positioned upon the structure, breast tissue of the subject's body is compressed in the proximity of plurality of MRI coils.
Claims13
An apparatus for imaging breast tissue of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
- structure upon which at least a portion of the subject's body is positioned;
- a magnetic resonance imaging system including a plurality of electro-permanent magnets positioned in a proximity of within 15 cm to the structure,
- wherein, while the portion of the subject's body is positioned upon the structure, breast tissue of the subject's body is compressed in the proximity of at least one of the electro-permanent magnets with no external pressure applied, the MRI system is configured to control an amount of remanent magnetization of the electro-permanent magnets and image at least one microcalcification in the breast tissue,
- wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system is single-sided, and
- wherein the structure is further configured to accommodate the subject positioned seated upon the structure with bended knees during the imaging while the breast tissue is compressed on the structure.
A method for imaging breast tissue of a subject, the method comprising:
- positioning at least a portion of the subject's body on a structure to compress the portion of the subject's body on the structure via gravity with no external pressure applied;
- imaging at least one microcalcification in breast tissue of the subject's body using a magnetic resonance imaging system including a plurality of electro-permanent magnets, the MRI system configured to control an amount of remanent magnetization of the electro-permanent magnets,
- wherein at least one of the electro-permanent magnets is positioned in a proximity of within 15 cm to the structure,
- wherein the magnetic resonance imaging system is single-sided, and
- wherein the subject's knees are bent and the subject is seated during the imaging while the breast tissue is compressed on the structure.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.