University of Massachusetts

Srinivasan Vedantham

Andrew Karellas

Sankararaman Suryanarayanan

The invention provides x-ray-based breast imaging systems and related methods that are, for example, applicable to contrast enhanced digital mammography and contrast enhanced digital breast tomosynthesis and allow fast, cost-effective and accurate x-ray imaging.

Apparatus and method for X-ray-based breast imaging

Apparatus and method for x-ray-based breast imaging

Systems and methods for providing radiographic, stereoscopic and tomographic images of an object of interest. Examples of objects of interest are body parts of living beings, such as the human breast and the human chest. The apparatus includes a high-fluence rate x-ray source and a plurality of satellite x-ray sources operating at lower fluence rate than the high-fluence rate source. A controller controls the operation and locations of the sources, and the operation of a detector. The method provides procedures in which the operation of the high-fluence source and the satellite sources are individually controlled as to location and orientation relative to the object of interest. In some operations, one satellite source may be operating while another satellite source may be repositioning. By proper control, a reduced x-ray dose and reduced operating time can be attained, thereby improving image quality, patient care, and patient experience.

Tomosynthesis imaging

A system for x-ray fluoroscopic imaging of bodily tissue in which a scintillation screen and a charge coupled device (CCD) is used to accurately image selected tissue. An x-ray source generates x-rays which pass through a region of a subject's body, forming an x-ray image which reaches the scintillation screen. The scintillation screen re-radiates a spatial intensity pattern corresponding to the image, the pattern being detected by the CCD sensor. In a preferred embodiment the imager uses four 8&#xd7;8-cm three-side buttable CCDs coupled to a CsI:T1 scintillator by straight (non-tapering) fiberoptics and tiled to achieve a field of view (FOV) of 16&#xd7;16-cm at the image plane. Larger FOVs can be achieved by tiling more CCDs in a similar manner. The imaging system can be operated in a plurality of pixel pitch modes such as 78, 156 or 234-&#x3bc;m pixel pitch modes. The CCD sensor may also provide multi-resolution imaging. The image is digitized by the sensor and processed by a controller before being stored as an electronic image. Other preferred embodiments may include each image being directed on flat panel imagers made from but not limited to, amorphous silicon and/or amorphous selenium to generate individual electronic representations of the separate images used for diagnostic or therapeutic applications.

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Holden, MA, United States of America

Srinivasan Vedantham