X-ray mammography with tomosynthesis
View Patent ↗A method and system for producing tomosynthetic images of a patient's breast. An x-ray source that delivers x-rays through a breast immobilized and compressed between a compression paddle and a breast platform and form an image at a digital x-ray receptor panel. Multiple x-ray images are taken as the x-ray source and the receptor move relative to the immobilized breast. In one preferred embodiment, the x-ray source travels from −15° to +15°. The source can travel in an arc around the breast while the receptor travels linearly while remaining parallel and at the same distance from the breast platform. The sets of x-ray image data taken at different angles are combined to form tomosynthetic images that can be viewed in different formats, alone or as an adjunct to conventional mammograms.
1. A method comprising:
providing an x-ray source configured to move relative to a patient's breast, a flat panel digital x-ray imager, and a breast support and a compression paddle positioned between the x-ray source and the x-ray imager, wherein the compression paddle is configured for compressing the breast against the breast support;
compressing the patient's breast between the compression paddle and the breast support;
selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit a plurality of first x-rays through the breast to the imager at a plurality of first x-ray doses;
controlling the imager to derive from the plurality of first x-rays a set of x-ray images of the breast;
receiving a signal identifying an area of interest in the set of x-ray images;
identifying a position within the compressed breast of the area of interest;
selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit a second x-ray through the breast to the imager at a second x-ray dose, wherein the second x-ray dose is different than each of the plurality of first x-ray doses, and wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source comprises emitting a first number of the plurality of first x-rays, emitting the second x-ray, and emitting a second number of the plurality of first x-rays; and
performing a needle biopsy on the area of interest.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of x-ray images comprise a plurality of tomosynthesis x-ray images.
3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising controlling the imager to derive from the second x-ray a two-dimensional image of the breast.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the two-dimensional image of the breast is derived from the second x-ray emitted when the x-ray source is at an angle of about +15° to the breast support.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the two-dimensional image of the breast is derived from the second x-ray emitted when the x-ray source is at an angle of about 0° to the breast support.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the two-dimensional image of the breast comprises a plurality of two-dimensional images of the breast.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the second x-ray is performed prior to performing the needle biopsy.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the second x-ray is performed prior to selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the plurality of first x-rays.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the signal identifying the area of interest in the set of x-ray images comprises receiving a user selection associated with at least one x-ray image of the set of x-ray images.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of first x-ray doses are less than the second x-ray dose.
11. A method comprising:
providing an x-ray source, a flat panel digital x-ray imager, a breast support and a compression paddle positioned between the source and the imager, and a motor drive for rotating the x-ray source while performing a tomosynthesis imaging procedure, wherein the compression paddle is configured for compressing a patient's breast against the breast support;
compressing the patient's breast between the compression paddle and the breast support;
selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit at least one of (1) a plurality of first x-rays through the breast to the imager at a plurality of first x-ray doses, wherein emitting the plurality of first x-rays comprises performing the tomosynthesis imaging procedure, and (2) a second x-ray through the breast to the imager at a second x-ray dose, wherein each of the plurality of first x-ray doses is different than the second x-ray dose, and wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source comprises emitting a first number of the first x-rays, followed by emitting the second x-ray, followed by emitting a second number of the first x-rays;
controlling the imager to derive from at least one of the plurality of first x-rays and the second x-ray at least one x-ray image;
receiving a signal identifying an area of interest in the compressed breast;
identifying a position within the compressed breast of the area of interest; and
performing a needle biopsy on the area of interest.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source comprises emitting the plurality of first x-rays through the breast to the imager at the plurality of first x-ray doses.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the signal identifying the area of interest in the compressed breast comprises receiving a user input associated with the at least one x-ray image.
14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising providing an anti-scatter grid and positioning the anti-scatter grid based at least in part on the emission of at least one of the (1) plurality of first x-rays and (2) the second x-ray.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein positioning the anti-scatter grid comprises positioning the anti-scatter grid between the x-ray source and the x-ray imager when emitting the plurality of first x-rays.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein identifying the position within the compressed breast of the area of interest is performed before selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the first x-ray.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of first x-ray doses are each less than the second x-ray dose.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein selectively energizing the x-ray source to emit the second x-ray occurs prior to performing the needle biopsy.