X-ray Mammography Compression Paddle with Non-Rigid Jacket
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current breast imaging techniques, such as x-ray mammography and breast tomosynthesis, often cause patient discomfort due to non-uniform compression forces, which can lead to inadequate tissue coverage and image quality issues.
Innovation Solution
The use of a compression paddle system with a non-rigid jacket, such as an inflatable or gel pad, that is designed to distribute and redirect compression forces more evenly across the breast, allowing for adjustable pressure and improved tissue immobilization during imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid compression paddle is used to compress the breast, then the breast is immobilized and tissue is spread out for imaging, but the compression force is non-uniformly distributed causing patient discomfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies a flexible membrane instead of a rigid paddle to compress the breast. The membrane is stretched under tension between two rods or rollers, allowing it to conform to the breast surface and distribute compression forces more uniformly, thereby reducing patient discomfort while maintaining immobilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state of the compression element from rigid to flexible by using a tensioned membrane. This parameter change allows the membrane to adapt its shape and pressure distribution to match the breast contours, resolving the contradiction between effective compression and patient comfort.
2Quantity of substance
If compression force is increased to ensure complete tissue coverage, then more breast tissue is imaged, but patient discomfort increases
Solution Approach 1:
The flexible membrane allows for increased tissue coverage by conforming to the breast surface and distributing the compression force uniformly. This enables adequate compression of all breast tissue without concentrating excessive force at specific points, thereby reducing patient discomfort while ensuring complete imaging coverage.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If a thick foam pad is used to improve patient comfort, then pressure is spread out more, but the pad may slip during positioning and cause image artifacts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a thin, tensioned membrane rather than a thick foam pad. The membrane is stretched under tension between rods or rollers, which prevents slipping during positioning while still providing uniform pressure distribution. This thin membrane design eliminates the slippage problem of thick pads while maintaining patient comfort and image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical friction-based positioning of thick foam pads with a tension-based system. The membrane is held in place by tension between two rods or rollers, providing stable positioning without reliance on friction, thereby preventing slippage and image artifacts.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If a tilting paddle is used to provide more uniform compression, then patient comfort is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a simple tensioned membrane between two rods or rollers to achieve uniform compression. This flexible film approach provides the uniform pressure distribution of a tilting paddle without the mechanical complexity of tilting mechanisms, thereby improving patient comfort while maintaining device simplicity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution reduces patient discomfort and improves image quality by ensuring more uniform compression and better tissue coverage, allowing for reduced radiation exposure and enhanced imaging capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
The use of a compression paddle system with a non-rigid jacket, such as an inflatable or gel pad, that is designed to distribute and redirect compression forces more evenly across the breast
Implementation Method 2
a non-rigid jacket, such as an inflatable or gel pad
Data Source
AI summary
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.