Breast tomography apparatus and control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9820711-B2
Application number	US-201514630767-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Mar 12, 2014
Publication date	Nov 21, 2017
Grant date	Nov 21, 2017

Abstract

A breast tomography apparatus includes a gantry incorporating a radiation source and a radiation detector and a breast insert portion which is provided in the gantry and in which the breast as an imaging target is to be inserted. The breast tomography apparatus detects contact between an object and the gantry by using at least one contact detection sensor arranged on the gantry, and determines the insert condition of the breast into the breast insert portion based on the detection of contact between the object and the gantry by the contact detection sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A breast tomography apparatus comprising:
a gantry incorporating a radiation source and a radiation detector;
a breast insert portion, which is provided in the gantry and in which a breast of an object as an imaging target is to be inserted;
a detection unit, which is arranged on the gantry and includes a detection sensor configured to detect contact with the object;
a CPU; and
memory,
wherein the CPU and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a determination unit configured to determine an insert condition of the breast into the breast insert portion based on detection of contact by the detection sensor.

2. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor is arranged near a boundary between the gantry and the breast insert portion.

3. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor detects presence/absence of contact with the object at a plurality of positions on the gantry.

4. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the detection sensor is configured to detect two-dimensional contact.

5. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit further determines a posture of the object based on a distribution of information indicating the presence/absence of contact at the plurality of positions.

6. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit further determines, based on a distribution of information indicating the presence/absence of contact at the plurality of positions, which one of left breast and right breast of the object is inserted into the breast insert portion.

7. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the detection sensor detects pressures of contact with the object at the plurality of positions, and
the determination unit determines the insert condition of the breast into the breast insert portion based on a dispersion of pressures at the plurality of positions.

8. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the detection sensor detects pressures of contact with the object at the plurality of positions, and
the determination unit determines the insert condition of the breast into the breast insert portion based on an average value of pressures detected from the plurality of positions.

9. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an insert informing unit configured to inform determination on the insert condition which is made by the determination unit.

10. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor detects a pressure of a contact of the object.

11. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor comprises a function for being energized when a pressure is applied.

12. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor comprises a function of a touch pad or a touch panel.

13. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection sensor comprises a distance sensor, and if a distance detected by the distance sensor is smaller than a predetermined threshold, the detection sensor regards it as a contact of the object.

14. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines, based on information indicating the presence/absence of contact with the object, a posture of the object.

15. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines, based on information indicating the presence/absence of contact with the object, which one of left breast and right breast of the object is inserted into the breast insert portion.

16. A breast tomography apparatus comprising:
a gantry incorporating a radiation source and a radiation detector;
a breast insert portion, which is provided in the gantry and in which a breast as an imaging target is to be inserted;
a detection unit, including an illuminance detection sensor provided in the breast insert portion and configured to detect an illuminance;
a CPU; and
memory,
wherein the CPU and the memory are operatively coupled to function as a determination unit configured to determine an insert condition of the breast into the breast insert portion based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection sensor.

17. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the determination unit determines the insert condition by comparing the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection sensor with a threshold.

18. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the illuminance detection unit sensor is arranged on a bottom surface of the breast insert portion.

19. The breast tomography apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the illuminance detection unit sensor is arranged near a boundary between the breast insert portion and the gantry.

20. A method of controlling a breast tomography apparatus including: a gantry incorporating a radiation source and a radiation detector; and a breast insert portion, which is provided in the gantry, and in which a breast of an object as an imaging target is to be inserted, the method comprising:
a detection step of detecting contact with the object by using a detection sensor arranged on the gantry; and
a determination step of determining an insert condition of the breast of the object into the breast insert portion based on the contact detected in the detection step by the detection sensor.

21. A method of controlling a breast tomography apparatus including: a gantry incorporating a radiation source and a radiation detector; and a breast insert portion, which is provided in the gantry, and in which a breast as an imaging target is to be inserted, the method comprising:
a detection step of detecting an illuminance by using an illuminance detection sensor provided in the breast insert portion; and
a determination step of determining an insert condition of the breast into the breast insert portion based on the illuminance detected by the illuminance detection sensor.

22. A method of controlling a breast tomography apparatus including: a gantry incorporating a radiation source and a radiation detector; and a breast insert portion, which is provided in the gantry, and in which a breast as an imaging target is to be inserted, the method comprising:
a control step of repeatedly performing imaging for obtaining a projection image used to construct a tomographic image by rotating the radiation source and the radiation detector with respect to the breast insert portion;
a count step of counting a number of pixels whose pixel values exceed a predetermined pixel value based on a projection image obtained in the control step; and
a determination step of determining an insert condition of the breast in the breast insert portion based on a difference between the number of pixels counted in the count step on a current projection image and a past projection image.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Tsukuda Akira

Classifications

• A61B6/0435

  with means for imaging suspended breasts · CPC title

• A61B6/035

  Mechanical aspects of CT · CPC title

• A61B6/0478

  Chairs · CPC title

• A61B6/547

  involving tracking of position of the device or parts of the device · CPC title

• A61B6/502 Primary

  for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography · CPC title