Matching geometry generation and display of mammograms and tomosynthesis images
A method and a system for using tomosynthesis projection images of a patient's breast to reconstruct slice tomosynthesis images such that anatomical structures that appear superimposed in a mammogram are at conforming locations in the reconstructed images.
1. A method comprising:
imaging a breast so as to acquire digital information corresponding to a plurality of x-ray tomosynthesis projection images of the breast taken at different angles;
generating, from the digital information, a plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images representative of respective breast layers;
obtaining a mammogram image of the breast;
receiving a selection of a region of interest in the mammogram image of the breast; and
displaying a portion of at least one of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images corresponding to the selected region of interest.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising displaying a portion of the mammogram image of the breast.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising simultaneously:
displaying the portion of the mammogram image; and
displaying the portion of the at least one of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the at least one of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images is displayed within the selected region of interest.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
receiving an input; and
in response to the received input, displaying sequentially at least a portion of each of at least two of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least a portion of each of at least two of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images are displayed within the selected region of interest.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images are parallel to an image plane of the mammogram image of the breast.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the obtaining operation comprises directing an x-ray at the breast.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of reconstructed tomosynthesis images is representative of respective breast layers and has a layer thickness corresponding to a thickness of a breast that is less than a total thickness of the breast.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selection of the region of interest comprises a drawing of a region of interest.
11. A method comprising:
displaying a mammogram image of a compressed breast, wherein the mammogram image corresponds to substantially an entire thickness of the compressed breast;
receiving an input corresponding to a region of interest in the mammogram image;
displaying, within the region of interest, at least a portion of a first reconstructed tomosynthesis image, wherein the first reconstructed tomosynthesis image corresponds to less than substantially the entire thickness of the compressed breast.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising displaying at least a portion of the mammogram image.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the a portion of the mammogram image within the region of interest is not displayed.
14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising receiving an input and, based at least in part on the input, displaying sequentially the portion of first reconstructed tomosynthesis image and a portion of a second reconstructed tomosynthesis image.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
receiving a marker input when the first reconstructed tomosynthesis image is displayed; and
displaying the marker on the first reconstructed tomosynthesis image.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising displaying the marker on the second reconstructed tomosynthesis image.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the marker corresponds to a location of a suspected abnormality.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first reconstructed tomosynthesis image corresponds to a first reconstructed tomosynthesis image plane that is substantially parallel to a mammogram image plane.
19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising obtaining the mammogram image and the first reconstructed tomosynthesis image.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the mammogram image and the first reconstructed tomosynthesis image is obtained by directing x-rays at the compressed breast.