202 results about "Breast imaging" patented technology

A device for imaging an object, such as for breast imaging, includes a gantry frame having mounted thereon an x-ray source, a source grating, a holder or other place for the object to be imaged, a phase grating, an analyzer grating, and an x-ray detector. The device images objects by differential-phase-contrast cone-beam computed tomography. A hybrid system includes sources and detectors for both conventional and differential-phase-contrast computed tomography.

Systems and methods for x-ray imaging a patient's breast in combinations of dual-energy, single-energy, mammography and tomosynthesis modes that facilitate screening for and diagnosis of breast abnormalities, particularly breast abnormalities characterized by abnormal vascularity.

A remote palpation technique in breast imaging involves the use of multiple applications of radiation force in rapid succession throughout a two-dimensional plane in the target tissue medium (10), and combination of the small, two-dimensional displacement maps from each force location into a single, larger remote palpation image (block 43). Apparatus for carrying out the foregoing method is also disclosed.

Computerized interpretation of medical images for quantitative analysis of multi-modality breast images including analysis of FFDM, 2D/3D ultrasound, MRI, or other breast imaging methods. Real-time characterization of tumors and background tissue, and calculation of image-based biomarkers is provided for breast cancer detection, diagnosis, prognosis, risk assessment, and therapy response. Analysis includes lesion segmentation, and extraction of relevant characteristics (textural/morphological/kinetic features) from lesion-based or voxel-based analyses. Combinations of characteristics in several classification tasks using artificial intelligence is provided. Output in terms of 1D, 2D or 3D distributions in which an unknown case is identified relative to calculations on known or unlabeled cases, which can go through a dimension-reduction technique. Output to 3D shows relationships of the unknown case to a cloud of known or unlabeled cases, in which the cloud demonstrates the structure of the population of patients with and without the disease.

An ultrasound scan probe and support mechanism are provided for use in a multi-modality mammography imaging system, such as a combined tomosynthesis and ultrasound imaging system. In one embodiment, the ultrasound components may be positioned and configured so as not to interfere with the tomosynthesis imaging operation, such as to remain out of the X-ray beam path. Further, the ultrasound probe and associated components may be configured to as to move and scan the breast tissue under compression, such as under the compression provided by one or more paddles used in the tomosynthesis imaging operation.

A patient bed for use in performing procedures on a medical patient, comprising a lower layer with said lower layer permitting attachment to a conventional external base and an upper layer attached in a sliding relationship to said lower layer, said upper layer being angled upwardly relative to said to create a void between said upper layer, or patient support and said lower layer and having a pair of apertures in the patient support, said apertures permitting a patient's breast to fit through the aperture. The invention may also include a breast immobilization device comprising a first sliding compression plate and a second sliding compression plate, said compression plates sliding together to compress the breast of a medical patient by translating toward one another.

A method for performing enhanced ultrasound diagnostic breast imaging includes using first and second compression plates (62,64) configured for receiving and compressing a breast between the same. The breast extends from a chest wall (118) of a patient at a proximate end to a nipple at a distal end. Portions of the breast proximate the nipple and proximate lateral edges of the breast are in non-contact with the second compression plate during breast compression. An ultrasound transducer array (68) moves along a path to scan the breast, the ultrasound transducer array being disposed adjacent a side of the second plate (64) opposite the breast. Image data representative of the breast is acquired as the ultrasound transducer array (68) traverses the path. Acquiring image data includes using electronic beam steering with the ultrasound transducer array to acquire image data in either or both (i) a portion (116) of the breast proximate the chest wall and (ii) a portion of the breast in non-contact with the second plate (122).

A breast imaging system leverages the combined strengths of two-dimensional and three-dimensional imaging to provide a breast cancer screening with improved sensitivity, specificity and patient dosing. A tomosynthesis system supports the acquisition of three-dimensional images at a dosage lower than that used to acquire a two-dimensional image. The low-dose three-dimensional image may be used for mass detection, while the two-dimensional image may be used for calcification detection. Obtaining tomosynthesis data at low dose provides a number of advantages in addition to mass detection including the reduction in scan time and wear and tear on the x-ray tube. Such an arrangement provides a breast cancer screening system with high sensitivity and specificity and reduced patient dosing.

An integrated tomosynthesis/molecular breast imaging device having improved sensitivity includes tomosynthesis imaging components and molecular breast imaging components. The imaging components may be used individually or in combination to provide a system with improved sensitivity and specificity. Molecular imaging components may be smoothly advanced or withdrawn depending upon the desired imaging mode. The system supports both PET and SPECT imaging and enables SPECT collimation to be modified in accordance with image capture requirements.

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) array coil system and method for breast imaging are provided. The MRI array coil system includes a top coil portion with two openings configured to receive therethrough objects to be imaged. The MRI array coil system further includes a bottom coil portion having two openings configured to access from sides of the bottom coil portion the objects to be imaged. The top coil portion and bottom coil portion each have a plurality of coil elements configured to provide parallel imaging.

An apparatus for imaging a breast of a patient has a gantry with a radiation source and a sensor, the source and sensor rotatable in an arcuate orbit about a central axis and within a plane of revolution, wherein the arcuate orbit spans more than 180 degrees and less than 360 degrees, and wherein the gantry has a gantry cover that is disposed to be in contact with at least the chest wall of the patient. The gantry cover has a central opening about the central axis for insertion of the breast that is to be imaged and a peripheral cutout portion that defines the end-points of the arcuate orbit and that provides a space for positioning a portion of the patient's anatomy.

An dual head molecular based imaging system includes at least one gamma camera having slanted collimators The use of one or more slant collimators can greatly improve viewing coverage of a dual-head gamma camera breast imaging system, providing improved three-dimensional localization and biopsy capability as well as improved coverage of axilla and chest wall tissue. The dual-head gamma camera breast imaging capability may be provided in a dedicated system, or alternatively as part of a fused x-ray, molecular based imaging system.

A new method of breast imaging to improve the detection of cancer during early stages of development is disclosed. The system combines molecular images of radioisotope uptake in cancerous cells with three dimensional high resolution single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), x-ray computed tomography (CT) and optical reflectance and emission (ORE) images of the breast. The system acquires data from nuclear isotopes within the breast and processes the data into three dimensional molecular tomographic images of cancerous cellular activity, morphological three dimensional x-ray density tomographic images and three dimensional optical surface images. These three sets of images or data are then combined to provide information as to the sensitivity and specificity as to the type of cancer present, three dimensional information as to the physical location of the cancer and reference information for radiologists, surgeons, oncologists and patients in order to plan stereo-tactic biopsy, minimally invasive surgery and image guided therapy, if necessary.

A system and method for performing quantitative lesion analysis in molecular breast imaging (MBI) using the opposing images of a slightly compressed breast that are obtained from the dual-head gamma camera. The method uses the shape of the pixel intensity profiles through each tumor to determine tumor diameter. Also, the method uses a thickness of the compressed breast and the attenuation of gamma rays in soft tissue to determine the depth of the tumor from the collimator face of the detector head. Further still, the method uses the measured tumor diameter and measurements of counts in the tumor and background breast region to determine relative radiotracer uptake or tumor-to-background ratio (T/B ratio).

A system and method for breast imaging using x-ray computed tomography (CT) are provided. One system includes a rotating gantry, an x-ray source coupled to the gantry for generating an x-ray beam and an x-ray detector coupled to the gantry for detecting x-rays of the x-ray beam. The system further includes an adjustable collimator coupled to the x-ray source and configured to adjust a focus of the x-ray beam generated by the x-ray source. The x system also includes a controller configured to control the collimator to adjust the focus on a region of interest (ROI) and to control a beam intensity for the x-ray beam generated by the x-ray source during a scan.

An x-ray breast imaging system comprising a compression paddle in which the compression paddle comprises a front wall and a bottom wall. The front wall is configured to be adjacent and face a chest wall of a patient during imaging and the bottom wall configured to be adjacent a length of a top of a compressed breast. The bottom wall extends away from the patient's chest wall, wherein the bottom wall comprises a first portion and a second portion such that the second portion is between the front wall and the first portion. The first portion is generally non- coplanar to the second portion, wherein the compression paddle is movable along a craniocaudal axis. The x-ray breast imaging system also comprises a non-rigid jacket releasably secured to the compression paddle, the non-rigid jacket positioned between the compression paddle and the patient.