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US 7,869,563 B2Granted
Integrated multi-mode mammography/tomosynthesis x-ray system and method
AssigneeHologic, Inc.
InventorsKenneth Defreitas, Tom Farbizio, Baori Ren, Chris Ruth, Ian Shaw, Andrew Smith, Jay Stein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging which comprises a compression arm assembly for compressing and immobilizing a breast for x-ray imaging, an x-ray tube assembly, and an x-ray image receptor is provided. The system is configured for a plurality of imaging protocols and modes.
Claims26
A system for multi-mode breast x-ray imaging, comprising:
- an x-ray image receptor;
- an x-ray tube assembly selectively emitting an x-ray beam directed toward the x-ray image receptor;
- and
- a breast immobilizer between the x-ray tube assembly and the x-ray image receptor,
- wherein said x-ray tube assembly and said x-ray image receptor are supported and configured for movement according to a plurality of imaging protocols and modes, including a protocol and mode in which the x-ray tube assembly moves along a curved path through one angle relative to the breast immobilizer and the x-ray image receptor concurrently moves through a different angle, in angular extent, relative to the breast immobilizer.
2 more elements
A tomosynthesis/mammography system comprising:
- an x-ray source, a breast immobilizer, and an x-ray imaging receptor;
- said source, receptor and breast immobilizer being supported selectively for operation in:
- (a) a mammography mode in which the source, receptor and breast immobilizer rotate as a unit, and
- (b) a tomosynthesis mode in which the source rotates relative to the breast immobilizer and the receptor rocks relative to the breast immobilizer;
- and
- wherein in the tomosynthesis mode the angle through which the source rotates is different in angular extent from the angle through which the receptor rocks.
3 more elements
A breast tomosynthesis method comprising:
- selectively locking to each other a first support arm supporting a source of an x-ray beam and a second arm supporting an x-ray imaging receptor for rotation as a unit and unlocking the first and second arm from each other for individual rotation of at least one of the arms relative to the other;
- selectively rocking the imaging receptor relative to the second support arm while rotating the first support arm;
- acquiring projection x-ray image data from the receptor while rotating the source support arm and rocking the image receptor;
- and
- computer-processing the image data into images for display and selectively displaying at least some of the images;
- in which the acquiring step comprises selectively acquiring tomosynthesis x-ray projection image data while the receptor is rocking and mammography x-ray image data when the receptor is not rocking.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.