Movable Patient Shield for Breast Tomosynthesis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing breast x-ray imaging systems face challenges in promoting image quality and patient comfort due to moving components, requiring effective shielding to prevent collisions and psychological discomfort, while ensuring technologist access and appropriate x-ray exposure.
Innovation Solution
A patient shield that moves horizontally between access and protective positions, out of the imaging beam, with interlocks to allow x-ray exposure only in designated positions, facilitating technologist access and protecting the patient from moving components during tomosynthesis and mammography imaging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a fixed patient shield is used to protect the patient's head from the x-ray source trajectory, then patient safety and psychological comfort are improved, but the technologist's access to the patient's breast and chest wall tissue is restricted
Solution Approach 1:
The patient shield is made movable rather than fixed, allowing it to be positioned in different locations along the patient's body. The shield can be moved to protect the head during x-ray exposure and repositioned to allow technologist access to the breast and chest wall tissue when needed, resolving the contradiction between protection and accessibility.
2Manufacturing precision
If the x-ray source moves through a trajectory close to the patient's head for tomosynthesis imaging, then image quality is improved, but patient psychological comfort and safety are worsened due to proximity of moving components
Solution Approach 1:
The patient shield serves as an intermediary barrier between the x-ray source trajectory and the patient's head. It provides physical and psychological separation, allowing the x-ray source to move close to the head for improved image quality while the shield blocks the patient's view and concern about the moving components.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If manual shields are slipped over the x-ray emitter to prevent head entry into beam path, then patient safety is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation are worsened due to manual intervention requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patient shield is integrated into the x-ray system with automated positioning capabilities. The shield can be automatically moved to protective positions and retracted to access positions without requiring manual intervention, eliminating the need for technologists to manually slip shields over the emitter while maintaining head protection.
Data Source
AI summary
Breast imaging using any one of a mammography system, a tomosynthesis system, or a fused system that selectively takes either or both of mammography images and tomosynthesis images, further uses a patient shield that moves closer to and further away from the patient's chest and head, between (1) an access position that facilitates the technologist's access to adjust the patient's breast while the breast is being compressed and (b) a protective position in which the shield helps protect the patient from collision with moving components and from x-ray exposure of tissue other than the tissue that is to be imaged.