FI113238B - Röntgenmammografiaundersökningsanordning - Google Patents

Description

113238 X-ray Mammography Examiner - X-ray Mammography Screening System

The invention relates to an x-ray mammography examination apparatus according to the preamble of claim 1.

The apparatus used for X-ray mammography examination is generally as shown in Fig. 1, comprising a C-shaped bracket 1, 5, 6 with an x-ray tube head 12 and an imaging member 11 attached to opposite legs 1, 6 The bracket further comprises a movable compression plate 7. 10 for pivoting about an axis 8 mounted parallel to the arms 1, 6 and perpendicular to the connecting link 5 connecting them. The shaft 8, in turn, is secured to the movable slider 9 in the upright post 10, thereby providing a height adjustment of the device.

15 For imaging, the breast must be carefully positioned between the imaging section 11 and the press plate 7 to reliably diagnose the resulting image. For oblique shoots, the C-bracket is tilted so that the tube head prevents the nurse from seeing the subject. Small operations are sometimes performed on mammography devices. Breast tissue sampling is common. This is done with a sample-20 tone needle, which may have a syringe or other instruments attached. This may increase the length of the system so that it does not fit between the tube end and the chest: 1. Common to these problems is that the tubular head 12 in the work area: interferes with operations.

• I »» ·· 25 To avoid these problems, the nurse must avoid bending the tube head in the positioning • · ··, so that the working posture is not good. The sampling problem can be solved by connecting a flexible hose between the needle and the syringe so that the syringe can be turned to the side. However, the hose increases the volume to be sucked and reduces j. accuracy of sampling.

30 '. For example, DE 2 014 151, US 4 979 196 and US 5 018 176 disclose ♦ ·> · solutions in which the X-ray tube head can be offset from the imaging area, thus avoiding the problems mentioned above.

* * · 2 113238

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved X-ray mammography device in which the above-mentioned problems can be more conveniently eliminated. To accomplish this object, the device according to the invention is characterized by the features set forth in the characterizing part of claim 1.

5

Advantages of the device according to the invention are that the oblique imaging is facilitated by automatically removing the tube end as a function of the C-arc rotation angle and / or at the end of the current imaging event, and further facilitating chest operations and more accurately and simply. Moving the X-ray tube aside from the imaging area is preferably done automatically when the C-arc is in an angle range of about 15 to about 900 vertically. The return to the imaging area can be made manually or motor driven as needed.

The invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows a conventional prior art X-ray mammography device in schematic elevation view, Figure 2 shows an oblique view of the prior art device of Figure 1: Figure 3 shows a device according to a first embodiment of the invention. 25 ·· Figure 4 illustrates the use of a device according to a second embodiment of the invention * ». »:; in incline layout and procedures,.:. Fig. 5 illustrates the use of the prior art device 30 of Fig. 1 in lateral view layout and operations, Figures 6-7 illustrate the use of devices of the first and second embodiments of the invention in lateral view layout and operations, 113238 3 Fig. 8 and Figures 9 and 10a-10b show schematically further embodiments of the invention.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, in particular in oblique and lateral views, the X-ray tube head 12 obstructs vision in the imaging area and impedes various research operations. In the solutions of Figures 3 and 6, the branch 1 containing the end 12 of the X-ray tube 10 is bearing to rotate sideways with respect to the connecting rod 5, substantially about the longitudinal axis of the connecting rod 5. Such a pivoting movement can be carried out in any manner obvious to one skilled in the art.

Figures 4 and 7 show the use of a device 15 according to a second embodiment of the invention in oblique and lateral view, respectively, with the X-ray tube head 12 offset from the imaging area. Fig. 8 shows one way of implementing the embodiment shown in Figs. 4 and 7. According to Fig. 8, at the upper end of the connecting rod are provided bearing bushings 4, inside of which sliding rods 3 are slidably passed, with a subframe 2 attached thereto. -: · dysaisa 5. This movement can be carried out, for example, manually or electromotor-driven or pneumatically or in any other manner known to a person skilled in the art. that way. The drive element may be e.g. drive belt elements connected to the drive motor.

! · 25 Linear movement of the X-ray tube head is known per se from DE-. *; 3437203. However, this disclosure addresses a completely different problem, namely the generation of stereo images, whereby the X-ray tube head remains at both ends of the transmission movement in the imaging position, whereby the preamble. * ·. The problems mentioned above still exist.

Fig. 9 schematically illustrates a solution in which the leg 1 pivots upright about the pivot point 13, and in Figs. 10a and 10b the solution in which the leg 1 is pivoted on the pivot point 14 is pivotable about it. The 113238 solutions of Figures 2 and 9 can also be joined using a ball joint at the pivot point that allows the leg portion 1 to be rotated in the desired direction away from the imaging area.

In the exemplary embodiments shown, many self-evident elements, such as position sensors, mechanical switches, etc., which effect the movement of the transducers when the C-axis pivoting motion exceeds a certain angular position, e.g. at the top and the imaging bodies down, or at the end of each shooting event.

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Claims (3)

An X-ray mammography examination device with a C-shaped support (1, 5, 6), in whose opposing branches (1, 6) an X-ray head (12) and an imaging part 5 (11) are provided, which support (1, 5, 6) thereto has a pressing disc (7) for pressing the chest during exposure, the C-support being rotatably rotated about an axis (8), the axis of which is parallel! with said branches (1, 6) and connected perpendicularly to a junction connecting rod (5) in which means are provided displacement means (2-4) for displacing the X-ray head (12) away from the exposure position, whereby required patient positions and / or other measures are possible to perform without the tube (12) obstructing the view, characterized in that the device therewith has control means responsive to the rotation angle of the C-cup and / or the termination of the photography, which the displacement means (2-4) provides orders for an automatic displacement of the x-ray head (12) away from the exposure position in response to exceeding a certain angle of rotation and / or termination of the photography. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said displacement means consists of bearing holes (4) connected to the branches (4) which receive internal sliding rods (3), to which an auxiliary body is fixed (2), which supports the x-ray head (12), the x-ray head (12) being displaceable away from the exposure position by displacing the auxiliary body (2) by means of said slide bars (3) linearly against said connecting rod (5). • 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that said displacement means consists of rotating means arranged between the x-ray head (12) containing the branch (1) and the connecting rod (5), with the aid of which the branch (1). ·. the X-ray head (12) may be rotated about a longitudinal axis substantially parallel to the connecting rod (5) or relative to the vertical axis away from; exposure mode. 30 »·» »: s>» »t