Full field mammography with tissue exposure control, tomosynthesis, and dynamic field of view processing

A mammography method comprising:

• providing an image of a patient's breast that occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor;
• automatically selecting an outline that encompasses the breast image to thereby define a reduced field of view image, wherein said outline is selected based on automatically derived information about a compression paddle selected to compress the breast for x-ray imaging, said outline encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image, and the reduced field of view is defined based on said outline;
• and
• using said reduced field or view image for further processing, transmission, and/or archiving.

A mammography method comprising:

• moving at least one of an x-ray source and an imaging receptor to at least two positions relative to a patient's breast between said x-ray source and imaging receptor, and for each of said at least two positions, emitting x-rays from said x-ray source that pass through the patient's breast and impinge an said imaging receptor,
• wherein an image of the patient's breast occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor for each of said at least two positions;
• selecting a rectangular region that encompasses the breast image at each of said at least two positions to thereby define reduced field of view images and using said reduced rectangular field of view images for tomosynthesis processing and transmission,
• wherein said rectangular region encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image and the reduced field of view is defined based on said rectangular region.

A mammography method comprising:

• moving at least one of an x-ray source and an imaging receptor to at least two positions relative to a patient's breast between said x-ray source and imaging receptor, and for each of said at least two positions, emitting x-rays front said x-ray source that pass trough the patient's breast and impinge on said imaging receptor;
• wherein an image of the patient's breast occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor for each of said at least two positions;
• selecting a rectangular region that encompasses the breast image at each of said at least two positions to thereby define reduced field of view images and using said reduced rectangular field of view images for tomosynthesis processing and further processing,
• wherein said rectangular region encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image and the reduced field of view is defined based on said rectangular region.

A mammography method comprising:

• moving at least one of an x-ray source and an imaging receptor to at least two positions relative to a patient's breast between said x-ray source and imaging receptor, and for each of said at least two positions, emitting x-rays from said x-ray source that pass through the patient's breast and impinge on said imaging receptor,
• wherein an image of the patient's breast occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor for each of said at least two positions;
• selecting a rectangular region that encompasses the breast image at each or said at least two positions to thereby define reduced field of view images and using said reduced rectangular field of view images for tomosynthesis processing and archiving,
• wherein said rectangular region encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image and the reduced field of view is defined based on said rectangular region.

A mammography method comprising:

• providing an image of a patient's breast that occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor;
• automatically selecting an outline that encompasses the breast image to thereby define a reduced field of view image, wherein said outline is selected based on automatically derived information about a compression paddle selected to compress the breast for x-ray imaging, said outline encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image, and the reduced field of view is defined based on said outline;
• and
• using said reduced field of view image for tomosynthesis processing and transmission.

A mammography method comprising:

• providing an image of a patient's breast that occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor;
• automatically selecting a rectangular region that encompasses the breast image to thereby define a reduced field of view image, wherein said rectangular region is selected based on automatically derived information about a compression paddle selected to compress the breast for x-ray imaging, said rectangular region encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image, and the reduced field of view is defined based on said rectangular region;
• and
• using said reduced field of view image for tomosynthesis processing and transmission.

A mammography method comprising:

• providing an image of a patient's breast that occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor;
• automatically selecting a rectangular region that encompasses the breast image to thereby define a reduced field of view image, wherein said rectangular region is selected based on automatically derived Information about a compression paddle selected to compress the breast for x-ray imaging, said rectangular region encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image, and the reduced field of view is defined based on said rectangular region;
• and
• using said reduced field of view image for tomosynthesis processing and archiving.

A mammography method comprising;

• providing an image of a patient's breast that occupies less than the entire field of view of an imaging receptor;
• automatically selecting a rectangular region that encompasses the breast image to thereby define a reduced field of view image, wherein said rectangular region is selected based on automatically derived information about a compression paddle selected to compress the breast for x-ray imaging, said rectangular region encompasses an entirety of the patient's breast in the breast image, and the reduced field of view is defined based on said rectangular region;
• and
• using said reduced field of view image for further processing, transmission, and/or archiving.