US 5,712,890 AGranted

Full breast digital mammography device

AssigneeThermotrex Corporation

InventorsBrett Spivey, Jean-Marie Tran, Lee Morsell, George Houghton, Steve Horton, Peter Martin

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

The invention provides a digital x-ray mammography device capable of imaging a full breast. A movable aperture coupled with a movable x-ray image detector permits x-ray image data to be obtained with respect to partially overlapping x-ray beam paths from an x-ray source passing through a human breast. A digital computer programmed with a stitching algorithm produces a composite image of the breast from the image data obtained with respect to each path. In a preferred embodiment, a Schmidt camera images visible light produced at an x-ray to visible light conversion surface onto a digital detector array to produce an overlapping image pane with respect to each overlapping beam path.

Claims48

Dependent claims

A digital x-ray mammography device comprising:

a) a frame,
b) an x-ray source mounted on said frame,
c) a breast damp adapted to position a breast on said frame in a fixed position with respect to said source,
d) an x-ray aperture movable mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame,
e) an x-ray detector movable mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame and aligned with respect to said aperture so as to detect x-ray beams from said x-ray source passing through said aperture, said detector including:
(1) an x-ray to visible light medium for converting x-rays to visible light,
(2) a detector array, and
(3) an optical system for directing visible light onto said detector array to produce images on said detector array,
a positioning system adapted to sequentially position said aperture and said x-ray detector in order to provide a plurality of overlapping x-ray beam paths extending radially from said x-ray source to said conversion surface, said overlapping beam paths defining corresponding overlapping breast regions,
g) a data acquisition system for acquiring digital image data from said detector array for each of said overlapping breast regions, said digital image data for each of said overlapping breast regions defining an image pane,
h) a computer programmed with a stitching algorithm for stitching together said image pane create a composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast, the programmed computer performing the functions of:
(1) registering each image pane onto a common pattern such that a portion of each image pane overlaps a portion of at least one other image pane,
(2) blending overlapped portions of said image panes to create the composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast.

10 more elements

A digital x-ray mammography device comprising:

a) a frame,
b) a single x-ray source mounted on said frame,
c) a breast clamp adapted to position a breast on said flame in a fixed position with respect to said source,
d) at least two x-ray apertures movably mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame,
d) at least two x-ray detector movably mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame and aligned with respect to said aperture so as to detect x-ray beams from said x-ray source passing through said aperture, each of said at least two detectors including:
(1) a conversion element for converting x-rays to visible light,
(2) a detector array, and
(3) an optical system adapted to focus visible light from said conversion element onto said detector array to produce images on said detector array,
f) a positioning system adapted to sequentially position said apertures and said x-ray detectors in order to provide a plurality of overlapping x-ray beam paths between said single x-ray source and said x-ray detectors, each of said overlapping beam paths extending radially from said single x-ray source, through one of said apertures, through a portion of said breast and into said conversion element, and each of said overlapping beam paths defining a corresponding overlapping breast region,
g) a data acquisition system for acquiring digital image data from said detector array for each of said overlapping breast regions, said image data for each of said overlapping breast regions defining an image pane,
h) a computer programmed with a stitching algorithm for stitching together said image panes to create a composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast, the programmed computer performing the functions of:
(1) registering each image pane onto a common pattem such that a portion of each image pane overlaps a portion of at least one other image pane,
(2) blending overlapped portions of said image panes to create the composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast.

10 more elements

A digital x-ray mammography device comprising:

a) a frame,
b) an x-ray source mounted on said frame,
c) a breast clamp means for positioning a breast on said frame in a fixed position with respect to said source,
d) an x-ray aperture means movable mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame for confining x-rays radiating from said source into defined x-ray beams,
e) an x-ray detector movably mounted, with respect to said fixedly mounted x-ray source, on said frame and movably aligned so as to detect said defined x-ray beams from said x-ray source passing through said apemare means, said detector comprising an x-ray to visible light medium and defining an x-ray to visible light conversion surface and comprising a detector array and an optical system focused approximately on said conversion surface for directing light to said detector array and producing images on said detector array,
f) a positioning means for sequentially positioning said aperture and said x-ray detector in order to provide a plurality of overlapping x-ray beam paths between said x-ray source and said conversion surface of said x-ray detector, each of said overlapping beam paths extending radially from said x-ray source, through said aperture, through a portion of said breast and through said conversion surface, and each of said overlapping beam paths defining a corresponding overlapping breast region,
g) a data acquisition means for acquiring digital image data from said detector array for each of said overlapping breast regions, said image data for each of said overlapping breast regions defining an image pane,
h) a computer programmed with a stitching algorithm for stitching together said image panes to create a composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast, the programmed computer performing the functions of:
(1) registering each image pane onto a common pattern such that a portion of each image pane overlaps a portion of at least one other image pane,
(2) blending overlapped portions of said image panes to create the composite x
ray image of at least a portion of said breast.

8 more elements

A digital x-ray mammography device comprising:

a) a frame,
b) a single x-ray source mounted on said frame,
c) a breast clamp means for positioning a breast on said frame in a fixed position with respect to said source,
d) at least two x-ray aperture means movably mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame for confining x-rays radiating from said source into defined x-ray beams,
e) at least two x-ray detectors movably mounted, with respect to said source, on said frame and aligned with respect to said aperture so as to detect x-ray beams from said x-ray source passing through said aperture, each of said at least two detectors including:
(1) an x-ray to visible light medium having an x-ray to visible light conversion surface,
(2) a detector array, and
(3) an optical system focused approximately on said conversion surface for directing light onto said detector array to produce images on said detector array,
f) a positioning means for sequentially positioning said apertures and said x-ray detectors in order to provide a plurality of overlapping x-ray beam paths between said single x-ray source and said conversion surface of said x-ray detectors, each of said overlapping beam paths extending radially from said single x-ray source, through said aperture, through a portion of said breast and through said conversion surface, and each of said overlapping beam paths defining a corresponding overlapping breast region,
g) a data acquisition means for acquiring digital image data from said detector array for each of said overlapping breast regions, said image data for each of said overlapping breast regions defining an image pane,
h) a computer programmed with a stitching algorithm for stitching together said image panes to create a composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast, the programmed computer performing the functions of:
(1) registering each image pane onto a common pattern such that a portion of each image pane overlaps a portion of at least one other image pane,
(2) blending overlapped portions of said image panes to create the composite x-ray image of at least a portion of said breast.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/622,053Filed 26 Mar 1996 · continuation
Priority: 23 Nov 1994
Granted: 27 Jan 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

A61B 6/502
Specially adapted for specific body parts; specially adapted for specific clinical applications: for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography
A61B 6/032
Computed tomography [CT]: transmission computed tomography [CT]
A61B 6/0414
Supports, e.g. tables or beds, for the body or parts of the body: with compression means
A61B 6/4233
Characterised by using a particular type of detector: using matrix detectors