Devices, systems, and methods for mammography with a detector having reduced dimensions

An auxiliary device for a mammography machine having an X-ray source and an X-ray receptor having a receptor area, the auxiliary device comprising:

• a housing that is attachable to the mammography machine and sized to fit over the receptor area of the mammography machine;
• one or more fasteners that are configured to attach the housing to the mammography machine in a releasable manner;
• a detector located inside the housing that is configured to be located on the receptor area upon the housing being attached to the mammography machine, the detector including:
• a slab of semiconductor material, the slab of semiconductor material having a length that is between 10% and 50% of a length of the receptor area of the mammography machine;
• an electrode on a first side of the slab, the electrode configured to face the receptor area;
• a pixelated electrode detector on a second side of the slab opposite the first side of the slab;
• a read-out circuit bonded to the pixelated electrode detector, the read-out circuit being configured for spectral photon counting with two or more energy bins.