Hologic, Inc.

Vivid Technologies, Inc.

American Science and Engineering, Inc.

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Jay A Stein

Andrew P Smith

Christopher Ruth

Ian Shaw

Baorui Ren

Loren Thomas Niklason

Zhenxue Jing

Kenneth F Defreitas

Kevin E Wilson

Nikolaos A Gkanatsios

Ken Defreitas

Kenneth F DeFreitas

Richard E Cabral

Chris Ruth

Alan W Rego

Thomas A Farbizio

Georgia Hitzke

Timothy R Stango

Donald Kennedy

Tom Farbizio

Joseph L Mark

Haili Chui

Kevin Kreeger

Xiangwei Zhang

Donald Barry

Ashwini Kshirsagar

Jun Ge

Liyang Wei

Yiheng Zhang

Tao Wu

Michael E Miller

John LaViola

Howard P Weiss

Kristoph D Krug

John P O'Brien

Dennis G Lamser

Kenneth Brooks

Russell J Gershman

Richard Gladwin Edwards

Noah Berger

Lynne Jameson-Meehan

Timothy N Wells

Biao Chen

Eric Von Stetten

Christine Janssen

Baori Ren

Andrew Smith

Andrew Paul Smith

Thomas L Kelly

Martin Annis

Richard Franklin Eilbert

Remo J Rossi

Cornell Lee Williams

John A Shepherd

Thomas Deyoung

David Wolff

Jeffrey Harold Paige

Tracy L Ramsdell

William F Aitkenhead

Tina LeFebvre

Jeffrey H Stillson

Adam L Taylor

Daniel W Hawkins

Steven Teta

Baouri Ren

Vincent E Quinn

Diane M Conlin

James D Miller

Constantine Ashminov

Linda Hopponen

Kevin William Wilson

Kyung T Park

Donald Bruce Plewes

Mitchell L Thompson

John Laviola

John Noel Williams

John P Fallon

Joel B Weinstein

Klaus Kubierschky

Tom Richardson

Peter Steiger

Brad Michael Keller

Christian Dunne

Michael Miller

Ken Brooks

Allan K McCombs

Zhenzue Jing

Lauren Niklason

Ren Baorui

Jing Zhenxue

Ken Defeitas

James G Liebau

Glen MacGibbon

Dick Cabral

Hong Wang

Vinnie Quinn

An x-ray breast imaging system comprising a compression paddle in which the compression paddle comprises a front wall and a bottom wall. The front wall is 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 extends 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 is generally non-coplanar to the second portion, wherein the compression paddle is movable along a craniocaudal axis. The x-ray breast imaging system also comprises a non-rigid jacket releasably secured to the compression paddle, the non-rigid jacket positioned between the compression paddle and the patient.

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

A breast compression paddle includes a bracket, a rigid substrate, and a foam compressive element. The bracket removably secures the breast compression paddle to an imaging system. The rigid substrate is secured to the bracket and includes a first edge and a second edge disposed opposite the first edge. The foam compressive element is slidably secured to the rigid substrate.

Horizontally-displaceable foam breast compression paddle

A method of imaging a breast compressed with a foam paddle includes emitting an x-ray energy from an x-ray source towards the breast and the foam paddle having a plurality of upper markers and a plurality of lower markers, wherein the plurality of lower markers are movable relative to the upper markers. The x-ray energy is detected at a detector disposed opposite the breast from the x-ray source. An image of the compressed breast is generated based on the detected x-ray energy. At least one of the plurality of upper markers and at least one of the plurality of lower markers is identified in the image. A thickness of the compressed breast at a plurality of thickness locations is determined, wherein each of the plurality of thickness locations corresponds to at least one of the plurality of lower markers.

Systems and methods for measuring deflection of foam breast compression paddle

Systems and methods for x-ray imaging a patient's breast in combinations of dual-energy, single-energy, mammography and tomosynthesis modes that facilitate screening for and diagnosis of breast abnormalities, particularly breast abnormalities characterized by abnormal vascularity.

System and method for dual energy and/or contrast enhanced breast imaging for screening, diagnosis and biopsy

Methods, devices, apparatuses and systems are disclosed for performing mammography, such as utilizing tomosynthesis in combination with breast biopsy.

Breast biopsy and needle localization using tomosynthesis systems

The invention includes a method including the steps of obtaining a plurality of images, each of the images in the plurality having at least one corresponding region, generating a merged image, the merged image also having the corresponding region. The step of generating includes selecting an image source from the plurality of images to source image data for the corresponding region in the merged image by comparing attributes of the corresponding regions of the plurality of images to identify the image source having preferred attributes.

System and method for generating a 2D image using mammography and/or tomosynthesis image data

A multi-mode system and method for imaging a patient's breast with x-rays in one or more of a CT mode, a narrow-angle tomosynthesis mode, a wide angle tomosynthesis mode, and a mammography mode, using essentially the same equipment, on one or more compressions or immobilizations of the breast.

Upright x-ray breast imaging with a CT mode, multiple tomosynthesis modes, and a mammography mode

While performing a tomosynthesis procedure, the breast of a patient is compressed between two compression elements to create an imaging condition. Foam is secured to the rigid substrate of a one of the compression elements. The patient's chest wall is aligned with the leading edge surface of the foam. The inner side of the breast is disposed proximate the lateral edge surface of the foam and the outer side of the breast is disposed proximate the outer lateral edge surface of the foam. A mid-plane is disposed between the inner and outer lateral edge surfaces of the foam. An interface connects a leading edge surface of the foam and compressive surfaces. A portion of the leading edge surface which is aligned with the mid-plane is incompletely compressed.

Breast compression paddle utilizing foam

A curved compression element, such as a breast compression paddle, and imaging systems and methods for use with curved compression elements. A system may include a radiation source, a detector, and a curved compression element. Operations are performed that include receiving image data from the detector; accessing a correction map for the at least one compression paddle; correcting the image data based on the correction map to generate a corrected image data; and generating an image of the breast based on the corrected image data. The breast compression element generally has no sharp edges, but rather has smooth edges and transitions between surfaces. The breast compression paddle also includes a flexible material that spans a portion of a curved bottom surface of the breast compression paddle to define a gap. The flexible material may be a thin-film material such as a shrink wrap.

Imaging with curved compression elements

A compression assembly is coupled to the gantry of an ultrasound breast imaging system. The compression assembly includes a pair of compression paddles mounted on a positioning track, Each compression paddle houses a transducer and has a compression material surface for patient contact. A motor moves the compression paddles along the positioning track to immobilize the breast for ultrasound imaging.

Multi-position ultrasound system

The housing for a breast imaging system contains an x-ray source and is configured to rotate relative to the breast. The housing for an x-ray receptor has a breast support platform and extends from an arm assembly which rotates independently from the x-ray source housing. A compression arm assembly connected to the arm assembly moves between a first linear position proximate the x-ray receptor housing and a second linear position distal the x-ray receptor housing. A pair of extension arms are pivotably connected to a strut which removably secures a compression paddle to the compression arm assembly substrate. The extension arms move between a first pivoted position substantially aligned with the strut and a second pivoted position disposed at an angle to the strut.

Systems and methods for pivoting compression paddles

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Boston, MA, United States of America

Jay A Stein