Cone-Shaped Radial Scanning Template for Breast Ultrasound
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current breast ultrasound scanning technologies face challenges in achieving volumetric completeness, image quality, patient comfort, and clinical efficiency, particularly in compressing and scanning breast tissue effectively.
Innovation Solution
A radial scanning template with a cone-shaped design and a slot-like opening is used to compress the breast in a chestward direction, allowing for higher ultrasound frequencies and improved image quality, along with multiple ultrasound transducers and varying parameters to ensure comprehensive scanning and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a conventional breast compression device is used, then the breast can be compressed for scanning, but the scan depth must be increased to achieve complete volumetric coverage, reducing image quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a conical scanning template with a specific opening angle (greater than 90 degrees) to compress the breast tissue into a flattened, disc-like shape. This curved geometric approach replaces conventional planar compression, allowing the ultrasound transducer to scan through a reduced depth while maintaining complete volumetric coverage of the breast tissue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the geometric parameters of the compression device by using a cone shape with an opening angle greater than 90 degrees. This parameter change enables the breast tissue to be compressed into a thinner profile, reducing the required scan depth from conventional approaches while preserving complete tissue visualization and image quality.
2Length of stationary object
If a radial scanning template with wide opening angle is used, then breast tissue is flattened effectively reducing scan depth, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The conical scanning template serves multiple functions simultaneously: it compresses the breast tissue, defines the scanning geometry, and determines the effective field of view. By integrating these functions into a single conical structure with a slot opening, the patent reduces device complexity compared to separate compression and scanning mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The scanning template is segmented into a conical body and a slot opening, allowing the ultrasound transducer to pass through while maintaining the conical compression geometry. This segmentation enables the transducer to access the compressed tissue without compromising the template's structural integrity or compression effectiveness.
3Reliability
If conventional compression methods are used, then scanning can be performed, but volumetric completeness and image quality are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The conical geometry of the scanning template ensures that the breast tissue is compressed into a uniform, disc-like shape with consistent thickness. This curved geometric compression pattern guarantees complete volumetric coverage of the breast tissue, eliminating blind spots and ensuring reliable image quality throughout the entire scanned volume.
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
The solution enhances image quality by reducing scan depth, promoting more uniform voxel elements, and increasing scanning efficiency while maintaining patient comfort through effective breast tissue flattening and comprehensive volumetric scanning.
Implementation Method 1
the radial scanning template compresses the breast in a generally chestward direction
Implementation Method 2
an ultrasound transducer and a radial scanning template that compresses the breast
Data Source
AI summary
Apparatus and related methods for facilitating volumetric ultrasonic scanning of a breast are described. In one preferred embodiment, a generally cone-shaped radial scanning template having a vertex and a wide opening angle is provided, the radial scanning template having a slot-like opening extending outward from the vertex through which an ultrasound transducer scans the breast as the radial scanning template is rotated. In another preferred embodiment, a flexible membrane for compressing a skin surface of the breast is provided, the flexible membrane being mounted on a mechanical assembly such as a roller assembly to form a slot-like opening through which an ultrasound transducer directly contacts the skin surface, the flexible membrane rising and falling relative to the skin surface but not moving laterally as the slot-like opening and ultrasound transducer move laterally across the compressed breast, whereby stabilization of the breast and direct transducer-skin contact are concurrently achieved.