Breast compression paddles utilizing pivoting foam elements

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11596368-B2
Application number	US-201916981943-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2019
Priority date	May 25, 2018
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A breast compression paddle has two sidewalls, each having an upper edge. Spanning the two side walls is a leading wall which also has an upper edge and is disposed distal from a bracket that is connected to a compression arm. Foam is secured to a substrate which is movably secured to the bracket and the rigid frame between a first position and a second position. In the first position, portions of the substrate and foam are disposed above the upper edges of all three walls. In the second position, the substrate and all of the foam is disposed below the upper edges of all three walls.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of compressing a breast for an imaging procedure, the method comprising:
providing a compression paddle having a main rigid substrate, a main foam secured to the main rigid substrate, and a subsidiary foam movably secured relative to the main foam;
moving the subsidiary foam into a non-contacting position;
positioning the breast on a support platform;
contacting a portion of the breast with the main foam, while the subsidiary foam remains in the non-contacting position;
moving the subsidiary foam relative to the main foam and into a contacting position; and
compressing the breast with both the main foam and the subsidiary foam.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising at least partially compressing the portion of the breast with the main foam while the subsidiary foam remains in the non-contacting position.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the subsidiary foam into the contacting position comprises positioning the subsidiary foam proximate the main rigid substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the subsidiary foam into the contacting position comprises securing the subsidiary foam against movement.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising locking a position of the subsidiary foam relative to the main foam.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein moving the subsidiary foam comprises pivoting the subsidiary foam.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein moving the subsidiary foam into the contacting position comprises positioning the subsidiary foam adjacent the main foam.

Assignees

• Hologic Inc

Inventors

• Stein Jay A
• Defreitas Kenneth F
• Edwards Richard Gladwin
• Keller Brad Michael
• Janssen Christine
• Rego Alan

Classifications

• A61B6/0414 Primary

  with compression means · CPC title

• A61B6/544

  dependent on patient size · CPC title

• A61B6/0435

  with means for imaging suspended breasts · CPC title

• A61B6/025

  Tomosynthesis · CPC title

• A61B6/488

  involving pre-scan acquisition · CPC title