X-ray scatter reducing device for use with 2D mammography and tomosynthesis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9901315-B2
Application number	US-201414777240-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 13, 2014
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Feb 27, 2018
Grant date	Feb 27, 2018

Abstract

Systems and methods for reducing X-ray scatter during breast imaging, and more specifically during tomosynthesis imaging. In one embodiment, an anti-scatter grid having a plurality of septa may be configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray imaging device such that each septum of the plurality of septa extends along a direction substantially parallel to a coronal plane of a subject during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device. The X-ray imaging device may be operable in a tomosynthesis mode for imaging of a breast of the subject and may include the anti-scatter grid disposed between a breast platform and the X-ray detector. The anti-scatter grid may be configured to move in a direction substantially parallel to a sagittal plane of the subject during tomosynthesis imaging.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for reducing X-ray scatter, the apparatus comprising:
a motor; and
an anti-scatter grid coupled to the motor, the anti-scatter grid having a plurality of septa, and the anti-scatter grid being configured to be positioned relative to an X-ray imaging device such that each septum of the plurality of septa extends along a direction substantially parallel to a coronal plane of a subject during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device,
wherein the motor is configured to retract the anti-scatter grid out of the field of view in a first mode of the X-ray imaging device and the motor is configured to move the anti-scatter grid relative to a detector in the field of view in a second mode of the X-ray imaging device,
wherein the detector is configured to rotate during imaging in the second mode, and wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move in a corresponding rotational direction with the detector during imaging in the second mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray imaging device is a tomosynthesis imaging device.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the X-ray imaging device is configured to operate in a 2D mammography mode and a 3D tomosynthesis mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along a first direction substantially parallel to a sagittal plane of the subject during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along a second direction substantially parallel to the coronal plane of the subject during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along a trajectory and at a velocity effective to reduce a Moire pattern in a resulting image during imaging of the subject using the X-ray imaging device operating in a tomosynthesis mode.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along the trajectory during each exposure of a plurality of tomosynthesis exposures.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the anti-scatter grid has a density of at least 70 septa per cm to confine a distance of motion required to reduce the Moire pattern.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the motor is a first motor and the apparatus further comprising:
a second motor coupled to the anti-scatter grid and configured to move the anti-scatter grid during imaging of a breast of the subject using the X-ray imaging device operating in a tomosynthesis mode.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second motor is further configured to move the anti-scatter grid along a first direction substantially parallel to a sagittal plane of the subject during imaging of the breast using the X-ray imaging device operating in the tomosynthesis mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the second motor is further configured to move the anti-scatter grid with a velocity profile that is one of a trapezoidal profile and a sinusoidal profile.

12. An apparatus configured to operate in a tomosynthesis mode for imaging of a breast of a subject, the apparatus comprising:
a motor;
an X-ray source configured to move for imaging in the tomosynthesis mode;
an X-ray detector configured to move in a reciprocal direction relative to a motion of the X-ray source during imaging in the tomosynthesis mode;
a platform configured to position the breast between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector; and
an anti-scatter grid disposed between the platform and the X-ray detector, the anti-scatter grid having a plurality of septa, each septum of the plurality of septa having a length extending along a direction substantially parallel to a coronal plane of the subject, wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move in a corresponding rotational direction with the detector during imaging in the tomosynthesis mode, and
wherein the motor is configured to retract the anti-scatter grid out of the field of view in a first mode of the apparatus and the motor is configured to move the anti-scatter grid relative to the X-ray detector in the field of view in a second mode of the apparatus, the second mode being the tomosynthesis mode.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is configured to move along a first direction substantially parallel to a sagittal plane of the subject during imaging in the tomosynthesis mode.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along a second direction substantially parallel to the coronal plane of the subject during imaging in the tomosynthesis mode.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along a trajectory and at a velocity effective to reduce a Moire pattern in a resulting image during imaging in the tomosynthesis mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the anti-scatter grid is further configured to move along the trajectory during each exposure of a plurality of tomosynthesis exposures.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the motor is further configured to move the anti-scatter grid with a velocity profile that is one of a trapezoidal profile and a sinusoidal profile.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of septa are arranged in a parallel configuration.

Assignees

• Farbizio Thomas
• Defreitas Kenneth F
• Shaw Ian
• Hologic Inc

Inventors

• Farbizio Thomas
• Defreitas Kenneth F
• Shaw Ian

Classifications

• A61B6/4291 Primary

  the detector being combined with a grid or grating · CPC title

• A61B6/025

  Tomosynthesis · CPC title

• A61B6/502 Primary

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

• A61B6/0414

  with compression means · CPC title

• A61B6/027

  characterised by the use of a particular data acquisition trajectory, e.g. helical or spiral · CPC title