Multi-position ultrasound system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11832989-B2
Application number	US-201917254160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 21, 2019
Priority date	Jun 22, 2018
Publication date	Dec 5, 2023
Grant date	Dec 5, 2023

Abstract

A compression assembly is coupled to the gantry of an ultrasound breast imaging system. The compression assembly includes a pair of compression paddles mounted on a positioning track, Each compression paddle houses a transducer and has a compression material surface for patient contact. A motor moves the compression paddles along the positioning track to immobilize the breast for ultrasound imaging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ultrasound breast imaging system comprising:
a gantry; and
a compression assembly coupled to the gantry, the compression assembly comprising:
a pair of compression paddles mounted on a positioning track, each compression paddle housing a transducer, having a patient contact surface comprising a compression material, and being configured to pivot on a paddle support arm; and
a motor for moving at least one of the compression paddles along the positioning track to immobilize a breast for ultrasound imaging;
wherein the compression paddles are configured to be coplanar to each other in a first configuration and parallel to each other in a second configuration during an ultrasound imaging procedure; and
wherein the ultrasound breast imaging system is configured to image in the first configuration and in the second configuration.

2. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the compression paddle comprises a housing and wherein the patient contact surface is detachable from the housing.

3. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable arm coupling the compression assembly to the gantry for rotating the compression assembly to a plurality of scan perspectives for performing at least one of a cranial-caudal, mediolateral oblique, lateral, and frontal scan.

4. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein the compression assembly further comprises a positioning structure, and a support arm for each compression paddle, each support arm for pivotably coupling the associated compression paddle to the positioning structure.

5. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface mounted on the gantry and comprising controls for controlling at least one of a position of the compression assembly and an ultrasound scan workflow.

6. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the transducers housed in the compression paddle is configured to move along a scan path to obtain an ultrasound image.

7. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 6 , further comprising a plurality of transducers, wherein each of the plurality of transducers is configured to move along different scan paths during ultrasound imaging.

8. The ultrasound breast imaging system of claim 6 , wherein the scan path is helical.

9. A breast ultrasound imaging system comprising:
a gantry;
an arm extending from the gantry;
a paddle support structure disposed at an end of the arm opposite the gantry;
a compression paddle assembly coupled to the paddle support structure, wherein the compression paddle assembly comprises at least one compression element comprising:
a paddle support arm secured to the paddle support structure;
a compression paddle pivotably secured to the paddle support arm, the compression paddle being configured, during an ultrasound imaging procedure, to pivot on the paddle support arm to be parallel to the paddle support arm in a first configuration and perpendicular to the paddle support arm in a second configuration; and
an ultrasound transducer disposed within the compression paddle;
wherein the breast ultrasound imaging system is configured to image in the first configuration and in the second configuration.

10. The breast ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the paddle support structure is pivotable relative to the arm.

11. The breast ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one compression element is linearly positionable along the paddle support structure.

12. The breast ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one compression paddle comprises a compression surface and an opposite surface, and wherein the transducer is disposed in contact with the opposite surface.

13. The breast ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , further comprising a paddle support structure motor for rotating the paddle support structure relative to the arm axis, wherein the motor is disposed in at least one of the gantry and the paddle support structure.

14. The breast ultrasound imaging system of claim 9 , wherein the ultrasound transducer comprises two ultrasound transducers, wherein each ultrasound transducer is configured for movement along within the compression paddle along discrete axes.

15. A method of imaging at least one breast with an ultrasound imaging system comprising a first compression paddle and a second compression paddle, the method comprising:
positioning the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle in a first position wherein a compression surface of each of the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle are disposed facing each other;
compressing when in the first position, a first surface of the at least one breast against the first compression paddle and a second surface of the at least one breast against the second compression paddle; and
performing an ultrasound imaging procedure of the first surface of the at least one breast and the second surface of the at least one breast in the first position while the at least one breast is compressed;
wherein each of the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle is pivotable on a paddle support arm;
wherein the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle are configured to be coplanar to each other in a first configuration and parallel to each other in a second configuration during the ultrasound imaging procedure; and
wherein the ultrasound imaging system is configured to image in the first configuration and in the second configuration.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising positioning the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle in a second position, wherein the compression surface of each of the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle are disposed coplanar to each other;
contacting at least one of the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle with a third surface of the at least one breast; and
performing an ultrasound imaging procedure of the third surface of the at least one breast in the second position while the at least one breast is contacting at least one of the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
when the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle are in the first position, orienting the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle in at least one of a first orientation, a second orientation disposed at an orthogonal angle to the first orientation, and a third orientation disposed at a non-orthogonal angle to both the first orientation and the second orientation.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein when the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle are in the first position, the at least one breast comprises a single breast.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein when the first compression paddle and the second compression paddle are in the second position, the at least one breast comprises a first breast and a second breast.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein two surfaces of the first surface, the second surface, and the third surface at least partially overlap in a direction of an axis connecting the two surfaces.

Assignees

• Hologic Inc

Inventors

• Defreitas Kenneth F
• Shaw Ian
• Brooks Kenneth
• Stein Jay A

Classifications

• A61B8/403 Primary

  using compression means · CPC title

• A61B8/0825 Primary

  for diagnosis of the breast, e.g. mammography · CPC title

• A61B8/406

  using means for diagnosing suspended breasts · CPC title

• A61B8/4218

  characterised by articulated arms · CPC title

• A61B8/4461

  Features of the scanning mechanism, e.g. for moving the transducer within the housing of the probe · CPC title