Apparatus and method for X-ray imaging of breast

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9380990-B2
Application number	US-201414315838-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 26, 2014
Priority date	Jun 26, 2013
Publication date	Jul 5, 2016
Grant date	Jul 5, 2016

Abstract

An apparatus for imaging a breast using an X-ray includes a support having a through-hole, a holder having a cylindrical shape, disposed in the through-hole of the support, and accommodating a breast of a patient, a linear X-ray generator disposed outside the holder and emitting an X-ray having a linear beam section that is lengthy in a vertical direction of the holder, a linear X-ray detector arranged outside the holder, and a rotation driver rotating the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector along an outer circumference of the holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for imaging a breast using an X-ray, the apparatus comprising:
a support having a through-hole;
a holder having a cylindrical shape, which is configured to be disposed in the through-hole, and accommodate the breast entering through the through-hole;
a linear X-ray generator which is arranged at an outer circumferential surface of the holder and configured to emit an X-ray having a linear beam section that is lengthy in a vertical direction of the holder;
a linear X-ray detector which is arranged at the outer circumferential surface of the holder and configured to receive the X-ray having passed through the breast; and
a rotation driver configured to rotate the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector along an outer circumference of the holder.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear X-ray generator comprises X-ray generation units that are linearly arranged.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray generation units comprise cold-cathode X-ray sources.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear X-ray detector comprises X-ray detection units that are arranged linearly or in rows.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the rotation driver is configured to rotate the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector simultaneously or selectively along the outer circumferential surface of the holder.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector are configured to rotate while facing each other with respect to a center axis of the holder.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the support is configured to support the patient.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a diameter of the through-hole is larger than or equal to an outer diameter of the holder.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the through-hole comprises first and second through-holes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the holder comprises first and second holders respectively provided in the first and second through-holes.

11. An apparatus for imaging a breast using an X-ray, the apparatus comprising:
a support having a through-hole;
a holder having a cylindrical shape, which is configured to be disposed in the through-hole, and accommodate the breast entering through the through-hole;
a linear X-ray generator configured to be disposed outside of the holder and to emit an X-ray having a linear beam section that is lengthy in a vertical direction of the holder;
a linear X-ray detector configured to be arranged outside of the holder; and
a rotation driver configured to rotate the linear X-ray generator and the X-ray detector along an outer circumference of the holder,
wherein the through-hole comprises first and second through-holes,
the holder comprises first and second holders respectively provided in the first and second through-holes, and
the first and second holders are respectively provided in the first and second through-holes with an adjustable distance between the first and second holders.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
an interval adjustment controller that is configured to adjust the distance between the first and second holders.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the holder is provided in any one of the first and second through-holes.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the holder is movably provided in the through-hole.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a contact sensor configured to sense a position of the breast entering the holder is provided on an inner surface of the holder.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the contact sensor comprises a contact pressure sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a breast fixing apparatus configured to fix the breast in the holder.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the breast fixing apparatus comprises an air tube that is provided along an inner circumferential surface of the holder.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the breast fixing apparatus comprises a vacuum pump configured to suck an internal air from the holder.

20. A method of imaging a breast using an X-ray, the method comprising:
fixing a breast in a holder;
performing X-ray imaging while rotating a linear X-ray generator and a linear X-ray detector along an outer circumferential surface of the holder;
converting an X-ray detected by the linear X-ray detector into a digital signal;
processing the digital signal; and
reconstructing an X-ray image,
wherein the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector are arranged at the outer circumferential surface of the holder.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the performing the X-ray imaging comprises:
emitting a linear X-ray from the linear X-ray generator while rotating the linear X-ray generator around the holder; and
performing the X-ray imaging while rotating the linear X-ray detector around the holder.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising:
rotating the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector which face each other with respect to a center axis of the holder.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the performing the X-ray imaging comprises:
rotating the linear X-ray generator and the linear X-ray detector simultaneously or selectively along the outer circumference of the holder.

24. A method of imaging a breast using an X-ray, the method comprising:
fixing a breast in a holder;
performing X-ray imaging while rotating a linear X-ray generator and a linear X-ray detector along an outer circumference of the holder;
converting an X-ray detected by the linear X-ray detector into a digital signal;
processing the digital signal; and reconstructing an X-ray image,
wherein two holders are provided corresponding to two breasts,
a respective linear X-ray generator and a respective linear X-ray detector are arranged at each of the two holders, and
the two breasts are simultaneously imaged.

25. The method of claim 24 , further comprising adjusting a distance between the two holders.

26. An X-ray apparatus comprising:
a support configured to support an object and having an opening;
a holder configured to be disposed in the opening and accommodate a breast of the object;
an X-ray generator which is arranged at an outer circumferential surface of the holder and configured to emit an X-ray;
an X-ray detector which is arranged at the outer circumferential surface of the holder opposing the X-ray generator and configured to receive the X-ray having passed through the breast; and
a rotation driver configured to simultaneously rotate the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector around the outer circumferential surface of the holder; and
an image processor configured to generate an X-ray image of the breast during one rotation of the X-ray generator and the X-ray detector.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the X-ray generator comprises X-ray generation units that are arranged in a first array, and
the X-ray detector comprises X-ray detection units that arranged in a second array in correspondence to the X-ray generation units.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 , wherein the X-ray generation units comprise cold-cathode X-ray sources.

29. The apparatus of claim 27 , further comprising:
an image processor configured to generate an X-ray image of the breast comprising a

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jong-Pil
• Han Woo-Sup

Classifications

• A61B6/025

  Tomosynthesis · CPC title

• A61B6/0435

  with means for imaging suspended breasts · CPC title

• A61B6/5205

  involving processing of raw data to produce diagnostic data · CPC title

• A61B6/0421

  with immobilising means · CPC title

• A61B6/032

  Transmission computed tomography [CT] · CPC title