X-ray mammography and/or breast tomosynthesis using a compression paddle

An x-ray breast imaging system comprising:

• an x-ray source;
• an x-ray detector;
• a breast support platform disposed between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector;
• a compression paddle disposed between the x-ray source and the breast support platform, the compression paddle having an injection molded body comprising:
• a bottom wall extending between a pair of spaced apart side walls;
• a front wall extending from the bottom wall and configured to be adjacent and face a chest wall of a patient during imaging;
• and
• a bracket opposite the front wall, the bracket configured to removably attach the compression paddle to the imaging system,
• wherein the bottom wall has a concave surface facing the breast support platform, the concave surface defined by an outer edge portion of the bottom wall and the concave surface is non-coplanar with the outer edge portion, and wherein the body has a first cross-sectional profile parallel to the front wall and at a first distance from the front wall towards the bracket and a second cross-sectional profile parallel to the front wall and at a second distance from the front wall towards the bracket, the first distance less than the second distance, whereby at the first cross-sectional profile a concavity of the concave surface between the pair of side walls is greater than a concavity of the concave surface between the pair of side walls at the second cross-sectional profile.