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:
Nov. 09, 2010
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2008
Michael C. Green, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael C. Green, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus for irradiating a breast of a patient includes a radiation source, a structure adapted to hold a breast of a patient in receiving a radiation from the radiation source, and a vacuum source. The structure includes a member having an interior generally conformal to a shape of the patient's breast when the breast is uncompressed or pendulous. The vacuum source is adapted to provide a negative pressure in the interior of the member, whereby in use of the apparatus with the patient in a supine position, the breast is held in the generally uncompressed shape. A method of irradiating a breast of a patient includes the steps of placing a breast of a patient in a structure which includes a member having an interior generally conformal to a shape of the patient's breast when pendulous or uncompressed, applying a negative pressure in the interior, thereby bringing the breast in contact with the member in the generally uncompressed shape, and delivering a radiation beam to the breast of the patient in a supine position.