General Electric Company

Ajay Kapur

Jeffrey Wayne Eberhard

Murtuza Lokhandwalla

Abdalmajeid Musa Alyassin

Bernhard Erich Hermann Claus

Henri Souchay

Philip Alexander Shoemaker

Donald Joseph Buckley

Abdulrahman Abdallah Al-Khalidy

Apparatus for compressing tissue to be scanned for medical imaging is provided. The apparatus may comprise a compression membrane and a tensioning apparatus coupled to the membrane to apply a tensile force to the membrane to place the membrane in a taut condition during an imaging process. In one exemplary application that combines ultrasound scanning with X-ray mammography, the compressing apparatus enables accurate, reproducible ultrasound images reducing distortion and attenuation, which may otherwise be introduced as a consequence of such a combination of imaging processes.

Compression paddle membrane and tensioning apparatus for compressing tissue for medical imaging purposes

Disclosed herein is a compression paddle comprising a paddle base; and a paddle wallcomprising a first side-wall; and a second side-wall; wherein the first side-walland/or the second side-wallare disposed upon the paddle baseand inclined with respect to the paddle baseat an angle that is effective to permit an x-ray beam uninterrupted access to an object of interest located on an opposing side of the paddle basefrom an x-ray source when an angle between a central axis of the x-ray beam and a vertical taken at an inner surface of the first side-walland/or the inner surface of the second side-wallis about 15 degrees to about 75 degrees.

Compression paddle for mammography systems

A method for multi-modality registration using virtual cursors including receiving a two-dimensional image dataset for an object at a first position and receiving a three-dimensional image dataset for the object at the first position. The three-dimensional image dataset includes a plurality of image slices. The two-dimensional image dataset is registered with the three-dimensional image dataset without taking into account a magnification factor. A user cursor position for a location in the two-dimensional image dataset is received. A slice of interest in the three-dimensional image dataset is received. The slice of interest is selected from the plurality of image slices in the three-dimensional image dataset. A shadow cursor position for a location in the three dimensional dataset is calculated. The shadow cursor position corresponds to the user cursor position and the calculating includes a correction for the magnification factor corresponding to the shadow cursor position for the slice of interest. The shadow cursor position is output.

Method, system and computer program product for multi-modality registration using virtual cursors

A probe interface assembly for an automated medical imaging system is provided. The assembly comprises a platform including and inner frame for supporting an ultrasound probe in spaced apart relationship relative to a compression paddle arranged to apply a compression load to breast tissue being scanned during a medical imaging process. The platform is adapted to contactively engage the compression paddle during the medical imaging process. The platform may include a first resilient pivot connection at each side of a first set of mutually opposite sides of said inner frame to provide a tilt degree of freedom about a first axis. The platform may further include a second resilient pivot connection at each side of a second set of mutually opposite sides of the inner frame to provide a tilt degree of freedom about a second axis positioned orthogonal relative to the first axis. The first and second connections allow a face of the probe to remain substantially parallel relative to the compression paddle notwithstanding of deformation of the compression paddle that may occur when the compression paddle applies the compression load to the tissue being scanned.

Compliant probe interface assembly

There is provided a method of analyzing a plurality of views of an object, the object including an edge portion partially extending from a surface of the object into an internal volume of the object, comprising the step of analyzing each acquired view. The step of analyzing each acquired view includes analysis of the edge portion. Preferably, the object comprises breast tissue.

Computer aided detection (CAD) for 3D digital mammography

An imaging system for performing tomosynthesis on a region of an object comprises an x-ray source, motion controller, an x-ray detector and a processing unit. The x-ray source is positioned at a predetermined distance from the object and continuously moves along a path relative to the object at a plurality of predetermined locations. The x-ray source transmits x-ray radiation through the region of the object. The motion controller is coupled to the x-ray source and continuously moves the x-ray source along the path relative to the object. The x-ray source minimizes vibration in the imaging system due to continuous movement. The x-ray detector is positioned at a predetermined distance from the x-ray source and detects the x-ray radiation transmitted through the region of the object, thus acquiring x-ray image data representative of the region of the object. The processing unit is coupled to the x-ray detector for processing the x-ray image data into at least one tomosynthesis image of the region of the object.

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Clifton Park, NY, United States of America

Ajay Kapur