Mammography Imaging Stand Recess for Chest Wall Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mammography apparatuses face challenges in reducing stress on subjects during craniocaudal (CC) and mediolateral oblique (MLO) imaging, with existing designs either applying excessive pressure on the abdomen or making it difficult to image the breast near the chest wall due to physical interference and arm positioning issues.
Innovation Solution
A mammography apparatus with an imaging stand featuring a recessed contact face that is chamfered and convex towards the upper face, allowing for reduced pressure on the abdomen and improved arm placement, enabling easier imaging of the breast near the chest wall and reducing stress in both CC and MLO imaging positions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the imaging stand is excessively pushed to the subject in order to image the breast up to the vicinity of the chest wall, then the imaging coverage of the breast near the chest wall is improved, but the abdomen of the subject is pressurized and large stress is applied to the subject
Solution Approach 1:
The contact face is extracted from the standard planar configuration and modified by cutting out a recessed portion. This removes the interfering section that would otherwise pressurize the abdomen, allowing the imaging stand to be positioned closer to the chest wall without applying excessive stress to the subject's abdomen.
Solution Approach 2:
The contact face is transformed from a two-dimensional planar surface to a three-dimensional recessed structure. By introducing depth variation through the recessed portion, the design allows the imaging stand to achieve better contact with the chest wall area while creating space that prevents abdominal pressurization.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the imaging stand is bent in a height direction between the upper face and the lower face, then the stress applied to the subject is reduced, but it becomes difficult to image the breast in the vicinity of the chest wall
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of bending the entire contact face uniformly, only a specific recessed portion is cut out from the contact face. This localized modification reduces stress on the subject's abdomen while maintaining the necessary contact area and geometry for imaging the breast near the chest wall effectively.
3Measurement precision
If the imaging stand is tilted in a longitudinal direction for MLO imaging, then the imaging geometry is improved, but the stress applied to the subject becomes large when the subject cannot put an arm on the side face
Solution Approach 1:
The side face is segmented by introducing a recessed portion that creates a stepped structure. This segmentation allows the subject to place their arm on the upper surface of the recessed portion, providing support that reduces stress on the subject during tilted MLO imaging while maintaining the necessary imaging geometry.
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 apparatus effectively reduces stress on the subject by allowing the imaging stand to be more comfortably positioned against the chest wall, enhancing the ability to image the breast near the chest wall and facilitating MLO imaging by accommodating arm placement, thus improving imaging efficiency and comfort.
Implementation Method 1
an X-ray irradiation section that irradiates an X-ray imaging panel with X-rays
Data Source
AI summary
The mammography apparatus includes an imaging stand that includes a recess that cuts out at least a part of a contact face that comes in contact with a chest wall of a subject, in which the recess has a shape in which between a first ridge portion where the contact face and an upper face are connected to each other, and a second ridge portion where the contact face and a lower face are connected to each other, at least a part of the second ridge portion is cut out, and the first ridge portion is not cut out.