The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 27, 2004
Filed:
Jul. 12, 2002
Robert R. Entrekin, Kirkland, WA (US);
Nicholas D. Change, III, Marysville, WA (US);
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V., Eindhoven, NL;
Abstract
A breast imaging system is described which includes compression plates for retaining a breast during an examination. One of compression plates is formed by a polymeric membrane stretched under tension to provide a rigid but compliant retention surface which is substantially acoustically transparent for the conduct of a sonographic examination. The polymeric membrane may also be substantially radiographically transparent for the conduct of a mammographic examination. The thickness of the membrane is chosen to be a function of one-half of the wavelength of the ultrasonic frequency used for the sonographic examination so as to be substantially transparent to ultrasonic energy at that frequency.