Hologic, Inc.

Thermotrex Corporation

Lorad, LLC

Trex Medical Corporation

Kenneth F DeFreitas

Ian Shaw

Jay A Stein

Alan W Rego

John Girgenti

Andrew P Smith

Thomas W DeYoung

Anthony J Pellegrino

Timothy R Stango

Mark A Catron

Eric Collins

Henry Landry

Kathryn Asad

Samantha E Vish

Baorui Ren

Loren Thomas Niklason

Richard F Schutz

Christian M Ulm

Joseph Kapushion

David VandeRiet

Kraig J Kruger

Alan J Harvey

Timothy N Wells

Arnold E Oyola

Joseph A Stand, Iii

Thomas A Farbizio

John LaViola

Milton Stoller

Tarpit Patel

David Anthony Gilstrap

Lynne Jameson-Meehan

David D Camarra

Danielle Niremberg

Jeffrey R Storm

Anthony M Scandura

Jacob A Flagle

Zhenxue Jing

Philip D Palermo

Christopher Labak

Zachary R Nicoson

Darrin Scott Manke

Douglas D Myers

John Laviola

Chris Ruth

Erin-Anne Lemieux

Christopher Paul Loughnane

Daniel N Lyke

David Wolff

Aaron Fand

Shusheng He

Chia Yee Ang

Caroline Cowles

Samantha Perkins

Kelly Farmer

Linda Volpe

Agnes Mercurio

Kathy Pickett

Erwin Sahagun

Benjamin Bailey

William Daniel Borzon

Joseph L Mark

Michael E Miller

Christopher Ruth

Ashwini Kshirsagar

Tom Farbizio

Richard Gladwin Edwards

Samson L Pennatto

Cornell Lee Williams

Tao Wu

Adrian Hunsdon

Alexander S Kreizman

Rachel Chandler

John W Robinson

Linda Hopponen

James A Princehorn

Ted M Andrew

Tim Stango

Thomas W Deyoung

A method of imaging a breast of a patient with a breast imaging system includes supporting the breast on a breast support platform. A compressive force is applied to the breast with a breast immobilization element including a rigid substrate, a foam compressive element secured below the rigid substrate, and a force sensor. The foam compressive element is in contact with the breast during application of the compressive force. A force signal is detected at the force sensor based on the applied compressive force. A compressed thickness of the breast proximate the force sensor is determined based at least in part on the detected force signal at the force sensor. An automatic exposure control is set based at least in part on the determined thickness of the breast proximate the force sensor.

Systems and methods for measuring thickness of foam compressive elements

Medical console

A multi-modality cancer screening and diagnosis system is provided that allows cancer screening and diagnosis of a patient using at least two different and sequential three-dimensional imaging techniques without patient repositioning. The system includes a first three-dimensional image acquisition device, a second three-dimensional image acquisition device having a probe with a transmitter mounted thereon, and a positioning paddle for positioning and immobilizing an object to be imaged during the cancer screening and diagnosis procedure. The positioning paddle is designed to facilitate visualization of the breast in both three-dimensional modalities without movement of the patient, and preferably is designed to position the patient with comfort during a diagnosis procedure which uses both imaging modalities.

System for imaging a patient breast

A station for tomotactic-guided biopsy in prone includes a table with an aperture, and a tomosynthesis imaging system. A biopsy gun can be mounted on a stage arm assembly disposed below the table. The imaging system and stage arm assembly can be independently rotated and linearly repositioned in one or more dimensions, thereby allowing the tomotactic scan axis to be located relative to a breast being imaged.

Tomosynthesis-guided biopsy in prone

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 compression arm device for compressing a breast in an imaging system with a compression paddle. The compression arm device includes a drive for moving the compression paddle towards the breast such that the drive provides a variable resistance during a contact of the compression paddle with the breast.

Compression arm devices and methods

A system for analysis of biopsy samples includes a tissue sample transport mechanism linking a biopsy sample excision tool to a tissue sample holder disposed in a staging area of an analysis unit. The tissue sample is automatically transported from the excision tool to the specimen holder, where the tissue sample is analyzed in the staging area of the analysis unit. The transport mechanism may include tubing and a vacuum source. The tissue sample holder may be configured to slow or temporarily stop a tissue sample for individual analysis, or collect multiple tissue samples for analysis as a group. A tissue sample sorting mechanism may be employed that allows separation of specimens that can be correlated to the analysis.

System for improved tissue handling and in line analysis of the tissue

Imaging system

Systems and methods for reducing X-ray scatter during breast imaging, and more specifically during tomosynthesis imaging. In one embodiment, an anti-scatter grid having a plurality of septa may be configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray imaging device such that each septum of the plurality of septa extends along a direction substantially parallel to a coronal plane of a subject during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device. The X-ray imaging device may be operable in a tomosynthesis mode for imaging of a breast of the subject and may include the anti-scatter grid disposed between a breast platform and the X-ray detector. The anti-scatter grid may be configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a sagittal plane of the subject during tomosynthesis imaging.

X-ray scatter reducing device for use with 2D mammography and tomosynthesis

A method of imaging a breast of a patient using an imaging system includes applying, with a first component of the imaging system, a compressive force to the breast. A second component of the imaging system is positioned in a start position. The imaging system sends a first guidance signal to the patient. An imaging procedure of the breast is performed with the second component of the imaging system. Subsequent to performing the imaging procedure, a second guidance signal is sent to the patient.

Systems and methods for guiding a patient during imaging procedures

A breast support platform for an x-ray imaging system includes a housing having a compression plate and a front wall, and a heating system disposed at least partially within the housing. The heating system is configured to heat at least a portion of the compression plate, at least a portion of the front wall, or at least a portion of the compression plate and the front wall. In an example, the heating system includes a transparent conducting film coupled to an inner surface of the housing. In another example, the heating system includes a blower disposed at least partially within the housing, and the blower is configured to channel hot air across an inner surface of the housing.

Heating systems and methods for heating a breast support platform preliminary class

A method of compressing a breast of a patient with a breast imaging system includes obtaining an x-ray area of the breast of the patient. The x-ray area of the breast is compared to a data set, and a target force is based at least in part on the comparison is identified. A compressive force is applied to the breast, and is based at least in part on the target force. The breast is imaged with the breast imaging system.

Systems and methods for applying force to breasts for imaging

A biopsy device includes a lateral member; a gun mount configured to support a biopsy gun, the gun mount being connected to the lateral member and movable along a first axis with respect to the lateral member, and a sensor which detects a position of the gun mount along the first axis with respect to the lateral member and generates positional data which is provided to an interface module. The gun mount can also be reconfigured in orientations which are offset in a dimension which is orthogonal to the first axis, orientations rotationally offset about the first axis or an axis parallel to the first axis. The lateral member can be in right hand and left hand orientations. Various sensors detect these reconfigurations and provide corresponding data to the interface module for additional calculations and display.

Breast biopsy lateral arm system

Growing community of inventors

Patterson, NY, United States of America

Kenneth F DeFreitas