X-ray mammography and/or breast tomosynthesis using a compression paddle

1. An x-ray breast imaging system comprising:

a compression paddle comprising:

a front wall configured to be adjacent and face a chest wall of a patient during imaging, wherein the front wall comprises a top;

a bottom wall configured to extend away from the patient's chest wall and to be adjacent a length of a top of a compressed breast, wherein the bottom wall comprises a central portion, two outer edge portions, a first bottom portion distal the front wall, and a second bottom portion disposed between the first bottom portion and the front wall,

wherein the first bottom portion comprises a first portion height from the top and wherein the second bottom portion comprises a second portion height from the top, and

wherein the first portion height is less than the second portion height, and

wherein the compression paddle is movable; and

a first axis substantially orthogonal to the front wall.

2. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a breast platform, wherein the compression paddle is adapted to be disposed in:

a compressing position wherein the compressed breast is disposed between the compression paddle and the breast platform; and

a non-compressing position wherein the compressed breast is not disposed between the compression paddle and the breast platform, and wherein the bottom wall comprises a substantially similar contour in both the compressing position and non-compressing position.

3. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein movement of the compression paddle is selected from a group consisting of movable only along a craniocaudal axis, movable only laterally, and combinations thereof.

4. An x-ray breast imaging system comprising:

a compression paddle comprising a front wall having a top, a bottom wall, and an intermediate portion between the front wall and the bottom wall, the front wall 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 extending away from the patient's chest wall, wherein the intermediate portion is generally non-coplanar to the front wall and the bottom wall and comprises an intermediate portion height from the top greater than a bottom wall height from the top, and wherein the compression paddle is movable along a craniocaudal axis.

5. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , further comprising a non-rigid jacket releasably secured to the compression paddle, the non-rigid jacket positioned between the compression paddle and the patient.

6. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the intermediate portion comprises a radius of a generally smooth curvature.

7. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein a height of the intermediate portion is taller than a height of the bottom wall, as measured from a top of the front wall.

8. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein a height of the intermediate portion is taller than a height of the bottom wall such that the intermediate portion is closer to the compressed breast relative to the bottom wall.

9. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the bottom wall has a concave portion and a convex portion relative to the compressed breast.

10. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the convex portion is where the bottom wall meets the intermediate portion.

11. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the intermediate portion comprises a curvature having a radius.

12. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein the front wall is slightly off-angle from vertical.

13. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 4 , wherein movement of the compression paddle is selected from a group consisting of movable only along a craniocaudal axis, movable only laterally, and combinations thereof.

14. A method of imaging a breast of a patient with x-rays from an x-ray breast imaging comprising:

supporting a bottom of the breast on a breast platform; and

compressing the breast by applying a compression paddle system to a top of the breast, the compression paddle system comprising a paddle having a front wall having a top, and a bottom wall, the front wall configured to be adjacent and face a chest wall of the patient during imaging and the bottom wall configured to be adjacent a length of a top of a compressed breast, the bottom wall extending 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 generally non-coplanar to the second portion, the compression paddle is movable only along a craniocaudal axis, and wherein the first portion comprises a first portion height from the top and wherein the second portion comprises a second portion height from the top that is greater than the first portion height.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the compression paddle system further comprises a non-rigid jacket positioned between the compression paddle and the breast.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising positioning a portion of the compressed breast, the portion distal relative to the patient's chest wall, after compressing the breast.

17. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein a transition between the front wall and the second bottom portion is substantially curved.

18. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 17 , wherein the second bottom portion comprises a substantially smooth curvature.

19. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the first bottom portion is disposed at an angle to the second bottom portion.

20. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the front wall is substantially vertical.

21. The x-ray breast imaging system of claim 5 , wherein the non-rigid jacket is a gel pad jacket.

22. The method of claim 16 further comprising inflating the inflatable jacket after compressing the breast.