Granted Patent B2

US 12,295,759 · App. 18/119,055 · Granted May 13, 2025

Inventors: Kenneth DeFreitas (Patterson, NY); Jay A. Stein (Boston, MA); Alan Rego (Woodbury, CT)

Assignee: Hologic, Inc.

A61B6/0414A61B6/0487A61B6/4476A61B6/502

Abstract

Claims (28)

1. A method of positioning a breast of a patient for x-ray imaging, the method comprising:

moving at least a portion of a paddle towards the breast in a direction substantially orthogonal to a support platform supporting the breast, wherein the at least a portion of the paddle includes a compression region and a bracket;

connecting a rigid substrate of a foam element to the bracket of the paddle proximate to the compression region and via a connection system, wherein at least a portion of the rigid substrate is received within a substrate receptable extending from the bracket; and

contacting the breast with the foam element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the at least a portion of the paddle comprises a first moving operation of the at least a portion of the paddle and a second moving operation of the paddle, and wherein connecting the foam element to the at least a portion of the paddle is performed between the first moving operation and the second moving operation.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising placing the breast on the support platform.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting the foam element to the at least a portion of the paddle comprises sliding the foam element in a direction substantially parallel to the support platform.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising moving the substrate receptacle relative to the bracket once the at least a portion of the rigid substrate is within the substrate receptacle.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising engaging a pin within the substrate receptacle with the rigid substrate to connect the foam element to the at least a portion of the paddle.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein when the at least a portion of the rigid substrate of the foam element is received within the substrate receptacle, clearance is provided between the rigid substrate and the bracket.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein connecting the foam element to the at least a portion of the paddle comprises aligning the rigid substrate of the foam element with the compression region of the paddle.

9. A paddle for a breast x-ray imaging system, the paddle comprising:

a bracket configured to couple to the breast x-ray imaging system;

a compression region extending from the bracket;

a foam element having a rigid substrate secured thereto; and

a connection system for removably connecting the foam element to the bracket proximate the compression region, the connection system includes a substrate receptacle extending from the bracket and that couples to at least a portion of the rigid substrate.

10. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein a pin is disposed at least partially within the substrate receptacle for engaging the rigid substrate.

11. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein the at least a portion of the rigid substrate is slidably received by the substrate receptacle.

12. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein the substrate receptacle includes a guide for receiving the rigid substrate.

13. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein the substrate receptacle is moveable on the bracket.

14. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein the substrate receptacle extends from a mount that couples to the bracket, the rigid substrate having clearance relative to the bracket.

15. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein the rigid substrate includes at least one of a flange and an edge.

16. The paddle of claim 9 , wherein the rigid substrate is magnetically coupled to the substrate receptacle.

17. The paddle of claim 16 , further comprising one or more alignment features on the rigid substrate and the substrate receptacle.

18. A method of positioning a breast of a patient for x-ray imaging, the method comprising:

moving at least a portion of a paddle towards the breast in a direction substantially orthogonal to a support platform supporting the breast;

connecting a foam element to the at least a portion of the paddle via a connection system, wherein connecting the foam element to the at least a portion of the paddle comprises magnetically coupling at least a portion of a rigid substrate of the foam element with a substrate receptacle extending from a bracket; and

contacting the breast with the foam element.

Assignments (4)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (251)