Mammography Light Assembly with Position Markers for Breast Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in mammography and tomosynthesis imaging is the difficulty in positioning the patient's breast within the image receptor's field of view due to dim lighting in the imaging room, which complicates the process and increases procedure time and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a light assembly coupled to the support arm of the imaging system, which includes light sources and position markers to illuminate the support platform and guide proper breast placement, ensuring accurate positioning and compression.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If dim lighting is used in the imaging room, then patient comfort and anxiety are reduced, but technologist's ability to position the breast and identify imaging areas becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces light assemblies with position markers as an intermediary element between the dimly lit environment and the technologist's tasks. These markers provide visual guidance for breast positioning and imaging area identification without requiring overall room illumination, thus maintaining patient comfort while solving the positioning difficulty.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of illuminating the entire room, the patent applies localized lighting through position markers at specific critical locations (imaging area boundaries, breast positioning guides). This provides necessary visual information exactly where needed while keeping the rest of the environment dim to maintain patient comfort.
2Device complexity
If manual breast positioning is performed without visual aids, then device complexity is reduced, but imaging procedure time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The light assemblies serve as a simple intermediary that provides immediate visual feedback for positioning. Rather than implementing complex automated positioning systems, the patent uses straightforward optical markers that guide technologists quickly and accurately, reducing procedure time without significant complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes different colored light markers to indicate different positioning information (e.g., different colors for imaging area boundaries versus breast positioning guides). This visual coding system allows technologists to rapidly interpret positioning requirements without increasing mechanical or electronic complexity.
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
Enhances the efficiency and accuracy of breast positioning, reducing patient discomfort and anxiety by providing clear visual aids for technologists, thus improving the overall imaging process.
Implementation Method 1
a light assembly coupled to the support arm and disposed above the compression paddle, wherein the light assembly is configured to direct one or more beams of light towards the support platform
Data Source
AI summary
An imaging system includes an x-ray tube head, a support arm, and a compression system coupled to the support arm. The compression system is independently rotatable relative to the x-ray tube head and includes a compression paddle, a support platform, and an x-ray receptor. The imaging system also includes a light assembly coupled to the support arm and disposed above the compression paddle. The light assembly is configured to direct one or more beams of light towards the support platform.