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US 11,890,120 B2Granted
Compression arm devices and methods
AssigneeHologic, Inc.
InventorsKenneth Defreitas, Alan Rego
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A compression arm device for compressing a breast in an imaging system with a compression paddle. The compression arm device includes a drive for moving the compression paddle towards the breast such that the drive provides a variable resistance during a contact of the compression paddle with the breast.
Claims20
An imaging system comprising:
- a rotatable x-ray tube assembly;
- and
- a rotatable arm assembly comprising:
- an immobilization device and a receptor housing, the immobilization device and the receptor housing configured to immobilize a patient's breast therebetween;
- and
- a drive assembly comprising:
- an immobilization assembly coupled to the immobilization device, the immobilization assembly having at least one sensor configured to measure an immobilization force exerted on the patient's breast via the immobilization device;
- a slide rail stage coupled to the immobilization assembly;
- and
- at least one technician control for driving movement of the slide rail stage along the rotatable arm assembly to position the immobilization device relative to the receptor housing, wherein based on the measured immobilization force, the rotatable arm assembly provides physical feedback for a technician operating the drive assembly.
7 more elements
A method of immobilizing a breast for an imaging procedure on an imaging system having a rotatably x-ray tube assembly and a rotatable arm assembly, the method comprising:
- positioning the breast on a receptor housing of the rotatable arm assembly;
- driving movement of an immobilization device disposed on the rotatable arm assembly towards the receptor housing, wherein the movement of the immobilization device is driven via at least one technician control;
- measuring an immobilizing force exerted on the breast via the immobilization device;
- and
- based on the measured immobilizing force, providing physical feedback for a technician operating the at least one technician control on the rotatable arm assembly.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.