Digital imaging method and apparatus for mammography
AssigneePlanmed Oy
InventorsPekka Strommer, Timo Sulin-Saaristo, Arto Virta
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Abstract
The invention generally relates to imaging of an object by electromagnetic radiation, especially to digital mammography performed by scanning technique. According to the invention, movement of a digital sensor of a mammography apparatus, synchronized with scanning movement of the beam, is performed by keeping the active surface of the sensor essentially at right angles to the beam, on a plane formed by scanning movement of the beam, while at the same time distance from the sensor to the radiation source is continuously adjusted so that its path in the direction of scanning movement of the beam becomes essentially linear.
Claims30
A digital mammography imaging method, in which the radiation that has passed through the object is detected on at least one sensor, which contains one or more preferably elongated sensor modules, wherein the said sensor module contains one or more pixel columns which receive Image data, in which method the object to be imaged is arranged essentially motionless and is scanned across with a beam which originates from a radiation source, the focus of which being essentially motionless in space, the beam being limited to be narrower than the object to be imaged and adapted essentially to the active surface of the sensor, and in which method the sensor is moved in synch with the scanning movement of the beam while at the same time the said active surface is kept essentially at right angles to the beam on a plane formed by the scanning movement of the beam, wherein movement of the sensor or sensors is implemented by continuously adjusting the distance of the sensor or sensors from the radiation source in a such a way that its/their trajectory in direction of the scanning movement of the beam becomes essentially linear.
Digital mammography imaging apparatus, which includes
- a radiation source (13),
- a sensor arrangement (15) for detecting radiation, which arrangement contains one or more sensors (50) formed of one or more preferably elongated sensor modules (510, 510′, . . . ), which sensor module (510, 510′, . . . ) contains one or more pixel columns which receive image data,
- means (16, 17) for positioning the object to be imaged, located within the area between the radiation source (13) and the sensor arrangement (15),
- means for limiting the beam (19) from the radiation source (13) essentially according to the active sensor surface of the said sensor arrangement (15),
- means for moving the beam across the object being positioned to be imaged and
- means for moving the said at least one sensor (50) which belongs to the sensor arrangement (15) in synch with the scanning movement of the said beam and keeping the said active sensor surface essentially at right angles to the beam on a plane formed by the scanning movement,
- wherein the imaging apparatus (1) includes means for adjusting the distance of the said sensor (50) or sensors from the radiation source (13) in such a way that the trajectory of the sensor (50) or sensors in the direction of the scanning movement of the beam becomes essentially linear.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.