JP2007289225A - Mammography and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mammography apparatus which enables the acquisition of clear mammograms while reducing pains suffered by a subject. <P>SOLUTION: A dose of radiation transmitting a region compressed by a compression device is detected by a dose detecting part 21 by matching a region irradiated with radiation by a radiation irradiating part 31 with a local compressed region on a mamma M of the subject on an imaging table to be compressed by the compression device 30 for compressing a local of the mamma M of the subject. The entire mamma M undergoes the mammography by taking the local compressed region as a local region subjected to imaging and by imaging while moving the local region subjected to imaging across the region subjected to imaging of the entire mamma M. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a breast image capturing method and apparatus for capturing a breast image.

  Conventionally, breast cancer screening has a higher detection rate of early cancer when combined with mammography taken with a dedicated breast X-ray apparatus (hereinafter referred to as breast imaging apparatus) than with screening only by visual inspection. Examination using an imaging device is performed.

 In mammography, in order to reduce exposure and reduce overlap of the mammary glands and ensure clear image quality, the breast is pressed from both sides so that it is sandwiched between the imaging table and the compression plate, and the breast is spread thinly. Since the photographing is performed, it is accompanied by considerable pain and discomfort for the subject.

 Therefore, in order to encourage the use of mammography, which is useful for early detection of breast cancer, it is desirable to reduce the pain at the time of examination and to remove the subject's anxiety.

 As a method for reducing pain during compression, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a method is known in which a compression plate is vibrated and pain is reduced by vibration.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 proposes a technique for softening the contact surface between the breast and the compression plate and reducing pain during compression by providing cushions on the compression plate and the imaging stand.
JP 2004-16817 A US Pat. No. 6,577,702

  However, in general mammography photography, there are one-way photography in which only MLO photography (inside / outside oblique orientation photography) and two-way photography in which MLO photography and CC photography (head-to-tail photography) are performed. As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the whole breast is sandwiched from diagonally so that the pectoralis major muscle can be seen. CC photography is performed with the whole breast sandwiched from above as shown in FIG. 6 (b). However, when two-way imaging is performed on the left and right breasts, a total of four imaging operations are performed.

  Furthermore, when an abnormality is suspected in mammography examination in which the whole breast is pressed and photographed, spot magnified photography may be performed as a close examination. In additional spot-enlarged imaging, a disc-shaped spot press is used on a local area including a suspected abnormality area with a pressure higher than the pressure used for mammography imaging performed on the entire breast. In addition, more accurate shooting is performed.

  Performing such additional mammography examinations many times is problematic because the subject suffers a great deal of mental distress and imposes a considerable burden.

  In the method of reducing pain at the time of compression imaging proposed in Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2, the pain at the time of whole or spot compression imaging can be reduced to some extent, but in an examination in which pressure is applied to the entire breast and imaging is performed. Therefore, it is not possible to perform imaging by applying a compression pressure that can be applied at the time of spot compression imaging. Therefore, if an abnormality is suspected in the examination, additional imaging is still required.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a breast image capturing method and apparatus capable of reducing the pain at the time of compression while being capable of being compressed with sufficient compression pressure on the breast at the time of one imaging. It is what.

  In the breast image capturing method of the present invention, a compression device that compresses a local area of a subject's breast on an imaging table is moved on the breast, radiation is applied to an area compressed by the moving compression device, and the irradiated radiation is It is characterized by detecting a dose that has passed through a region compressed by the press.

  The breast imaging apparatus of the present invention comprises a compression device that compresses a local area of a subject's breast on an imaging table, a compression device moving means that moves the compression device over the breast, and radiation to an area compressed by the compression device. Radiation irradiation unit to irradiate, irradiation region moving means to move the region irradiated by the radiation irradiation unit to the compression region moved by the compression device moving means, and the dose through which the radiation is transmitted through the region compressed by the compression device is detected And a dose detector.

  Here, it is desirable that the compression device has a cylindrical shape that rolls on the breast.

  According to the breast image capturing method and apparatus of the present invention, the compression device that compresses the local range of the subject's breast on the imaging table is moved on the breast, and the region that is compressed by the moving compression device is irradiated with radiation, Because it is configured to detect the dose of radiation that has passed through the area compressed by the compression device, the pain on the compression decreases as the compression area decreases even if the compression pressure is high. By repeating local compression sequentially, it is possible to compress with sufficient compression pressure, and at the same time reduce pain during compression.

  In the above configuration, when the compression device is a columnar member that rolls on the breast, the pressure on the subject's breast is relieved and a wide range can be photographed at a time while being local.

  Embodiments of a breast imaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of a breast image photographing apparatus according to the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the mammography apparatus 1 accommodates therein a radiation storage unit 10 that houses a radiation irradiation unit 11 and an irradiation position moving unit 14, and a dose detection unit 21 and a dose detection position moving unit 24 inside. The arm 40 is coupled to the arm 40 so as to face the photographing table 20, and the arm 40 is attached to the frame 50 with the axis C.

  In addition, a columnar compressor 30 made of a material transparent to the radiation to be used, which rolls on the breast M, is provided between the radiation storage unit 10 and the imaging table 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the compression device 30 is attached to the radiation storage unit 10 by a compression device connecting portion 31, and is pressed in parallel with the imaging table 4 by a compression device moving means 32 provided inside the radiation storage unit 10. It moves in the direction of approaching or separating from the examiner's chest wall H and in the vertical direction.

  The radiation irradiation unit 11 includes one or more first radiation shielding slits 13 each having an opening extending in a direction parallel to the radiation source 12 and the chest wall H side of the imaging table. As shown in FIG. 3, it is moved in a direction to approach or isolate the subject's chest wall H in parallel with the imaging table 4.

  The dose detector 21 includes a dose detector 22 and a second radiation shielding slit 23 having an opening extending in a direction parallel to the chest wall H side of the imaging table. In parallel, it is moved in a direction to approach or isolate the subject's chest wall H.

  With the above-described configuration, the cylindrical compression device 30 that compresses the local range extending in the direction parallel to the chest wall H is used to move the compression device moving means so that the local region of the breast M to be compressed has a thickness suitable for imaging. At 34, the breast M is pressed down gradually in the longitudinal direction of the arm to pressurize the breast M.

  When the compression device 30 reaches the optimum compression position for the local region of the breast M to be compressed, the compression device moving means 34 rolls over the breast M in a direction to be separated from the subject's chest wall H in parallel with the imaging table 20. By moving so as to move, local compression on the breast M is sequentially repeated.

  Generally, as the thickness of the breast is reduced and the thickness of the breast is reduced, the shadow of a small lump can be clearly displayed with less radiation. Therefore, the above-described cylindrical compression device 30 that rolls on the breast is used. In this case, it is preferable that a linear area corresponding to the bottom side of the compression device closest to the imaging table 20 is a local imaging target area.

  Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the radiation emitted from the radiation source 12 of the radiation irradiating unit 11 is applied only to the above-described local imaging target region using one or more first radiation shielding slits 13. Radiation is irradiated so that radiation emitted in a direction other than the irradiation region is shielded. Then, by moving the radiation irradiation unit by the irradiation region moving means 14, the irradiation region can be moved in accordance with the local imaging target region that moves along with the movement of the compression device 30.

  In addition, the dose detector 21 uses the second radiation shielding slit 23 to measure, with the dose detector 22, the dose at which the radiation emitted from the radiation irradiator 11 has passed through the local imaging target region. The dose detection unit 21 can move the dose detection position by the dose detection position moving means 21 according to the imaging target area that moves together with the movement of the compression device 30.

  As described above in detail, the radiation irradiation region and the dose detection position are made to coincide with the local imaging target region on the breast M by the compressor 30, and the local imaging target region covers the imaging target region of the entire breast M. By taking an image while moving in this manner, it is possible to take a breast image of the entire breast M.

  According to the above-described embodiment, local compression is sequentially repeated by the cylindrical compression device 30 that rolls on the breast M, and scanning is performed so that the linear imaging target region covers the entire imaging target region of the breast. By performing imaging, it is possible to perform compression with sufficient compression pressure in one breast image imaging, and to reduce pain during compression.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the compression device has a cylindrical shape that rolls on the breast M is exemplified. However, the compression device may be any shape that can compress the local region of the breast and move it on the breast. It may have any shape, and may move in a sliding manner instead of rolling on the breast. In the case where the compressor moves so as to slide on the breast, it is desirable to make it slippery using a lubricant or the like in order to prevent friction on the breast surface of the subject.

  In the above embodiment, the case where imaging is performed by moving the compression device in the direction close to or isolated from the chest wall H of the subject in parallel with the imaging table 4 is illustrated. As long as the compression is repeated sequentially and the compression region covers the entire imaging target region of the breast, imaging may be performed in any direction or order with respect to the entire imaging target region.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the compression device is attached to the radiation storage unit 10 by the compression device connecting portion 31 is illustrated, but the compression device may be attached to the arm 40 or the imaging table 20 and used.

  In addition, when the compressor 30, the radiation irradiation unit 11, and the dose detection unit 21 are moved synchronously to capture a breast image, the radiation irradiation unit 11 has one or more first radiations with respect to the stationary radiation source 12. The irradiation slit may be moved by moving the shielding slit 13, and the dose detector moves the irradiation area by moving the second radiation shielding slit 23 relative to the stationary dose detector 22. Also good.

The side view which shows schematic structure of the mammography apparatus by this invention 1 is a perspective view showing the movement of the compression device of the breast imaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the movement of the radiation irradiation unit and the dose detection unit of the mammography apparatus shown in FIG. Front view of the arm portion of the breast imaging apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a side view showing the relationship between a compressor, a radiation irradiation unit, and a dose detection unit of the breast imaging apparatus shown in FIG. Illustration for explaining MLO shooting and CC shooting

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Breast imaging device 10 Radiation storage part 11 Radiation irradiation part 12 Radiation source 13 1st radiation shielding slit 14 Irradiation position moving means (irradiation area moving means)
20 Imaging stand 21 Dose detector 30 Compressor 34 Compressor moving means 40 Arm M Breast C axis

Claims (3)

  A dose that is obtained by irradiating a region compressed by the moving compression device by moving a compression device that compresses the local area of the subject's breast on the imaging table, and transmitting the radiation through the region. A mammographic imaging method characterized by detecting an image. A pressure device that compresses the local area of the subject's breast on the imaging table;
A compressor moving means for moving the compressor over the breast;
A radiation irradiating unit for irradiating the region compressed by the press;
An irradiation area moving means for moving an area irradiated by the radiation irradiation section to the area moved by the compressor movement means;
A breast image capturing apparatus, comprising: a dose detector that detects a dose of the radiation transmitted through the region.   The mammography apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the compression device is a columnar member that rolls on the breast.

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