JP5646722B2 - Mammography equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a mammography apparatus that compresses a breast with a compression plate and performs imaging with an X-ray tube and a flat detector.

  The mammography apparatus is an x-ray imaging apparatus dedicated to breasts that compresses a breast placed on an imaging table with a compression plate to expand a mammary gland and collect a two-dimensional image from one direction. Since the mammary gland in the breast has a structure in which the lobule is connected to the tip of the three-dimensional branch, there are many overlapping mammary glands just by photographing as it is, and accurate evaluation cannot be performed. For this reason, the breasts are compressed and stretched thinly, thereby reducing the overlap of the mammary glands and enabling X-ray imaging with a lower dose.

  When photographing with a mammography apparatus, as with other modality photographing, it is necessary to fix the breast as a photographing target together with the body so as not to move with respect to the mammography apparatus. For this purpose, a columnar grip (also referred to as a handle) is fixed to a support arm portion of a rotary arm of a conventional mammography apparatus with two or more pedestals slightly lifted from the arm. By wrapping the grip in this state with its own five fingers and grasping it firmly and pulling the body to the arm, the body can be firmly fixed to the mammography apparatus together with the breast.

  However, when grasping the grip and applying force to the arm, the subject's arm muscles and pectoral muscles are strongly tensed, causing a situation in which the breast cannot be pushed out well, and the pectoral muscles and the like are tensed. I could feel pressure pain.

  The objective of this invention is providing the mammography apparatus which can fix a breast suitably with a body, avoiding excessive tension | tensile_strength, such as a great pectoral muscle.

  The mammography apparatus according to the present embodiment includes an imaging table on which a breast of a subject is placed, an X-ray tube for generating X-rays, an arm that holds the X-ray tube and the imaging table, and the subject. An X-ray detector for detecting X-rays transmitted through the breast of the specimen, and a state in which the subject grips with the five fingers and excludes the state of being gripped with the five fingers of the subject, and is placed in a state of hooking the fingertip while placing the arm. Armrest.

The figure which shows the external appearance of the mammography apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The figure which looked at the L-shaped arm and armrest of FIG. 1 from the stand side. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the armrest of FIG. 1. The other cross-sectional view of the armrest of FIG. The cross-sectional view which shows a mode that put an arm on the armrest of FIG. The perspective view which shows a mode that put an arm on the armrest of FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of a mammography apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a mammography apparatus according to this embodiment. The mammography apparatus has a stand 4. The stand 4 supports a substantially L-shaped or I-shaped arm 21 by a horizontal column 12 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis R. An X-ray tube 2 is provided at one end of the arm 21. Actually, the X-ray tube 2 is covered with a housing. A high voltage generator 3 is accommodated in the stand 4. The high voltage generator 3 applies a high voltage (tube voltage) between the electrodes of the X-ray tube 2 and supplies a filament current to the filament. Thereby, X-rays are generated in the X-ray tube 2.

  The imaging table 6 is attached to the other end of the arm 21. The imaging table 6 accommodates an X-ray detector 5. As the X-ray detector 5, a film cassette, a CR cassette, or a planar X-ray detector (flat panel detector; FPD) is employed. The X-ray detector 5 is provided in a direction facing the X-ray tube 2 and detects X-rays transmitted through the compressed breast of the subject.

  The arm 21 is equipped with the compression mechanism 11. The compression mechanism 11 includes a compression plate 22, a movement mechanism thereof, and a movement drive unit. The compression plate 22 moves in a direction approaching / separating from the imaging table 6 while maintaining a state parallel to the imaging table 6. The compression plate 22 compresses the subject's breast with the imaging table 6. As for the movement of the compression plate 22 and the rotation of the arm 21, the photographing engineer can perform a hand operation on the operation buttons of the operation panel 35 provided in a part of the armrest 31.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the armrest 31 has a U shape so as to surround the arm 21. The armrest 31 includes a substantially semi-cylindrical armrest main body portion 32 having a convexly curved surface, and a pedestal portion 33 for installing the armrest main body portion 32 on the arm 21. Specifically, the surface of the armrest body portion 32 is curved with a radius selected from 100 to 110 mm.

  The pedestal portion 33 has a length substantially equivalent to the armrest body portion 32 so that there is no gap between the armrest body portion 32 and the arm 21. This is a first structural difference from a rod-shaped handle (grip) disposed at a distance from the conventional arm. This structure without a gap eliminates the state of wrapping and gripping with the five fingers of the subject, and naturally creates a state of hooking the subject's fingertips. This condition can be further compensated by a number of factors:

  As shown in FIG. 3, the armrest body portion 32 has a width of at least 90 mm. The armrest body portion 32 has a width selected from the range of 90 to 120 mm. Typically, the armrest body portion 32 has a width of 110 mm. This relatively wide width, along with improved functionality as an arm rest, is longer than the length of the second joint of the typical index finger of an adult and the first joint of the thumb, so that the index finger and thumb are facing each other. Can be eliminated.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the armrest body portion 32 includes a curved portion 35 having a thickness of at least 15 mm and a flat plate portion 36 having a thickness of at least 15 mm that supports the curved portion 35. . In practice, the curved portion 35 has a thickness selected from the range of 10-20 mm. The flat plate portion 36 has a thickness selected from the range of 10 to 20 mm.

  The pedestal portion 33 typically has a thickness of 24 mm. Actually, the pedestal portion 33 has a thickness selected from a range of 20 to 30 mm so as not to pinch a finger. As shown in FIG. 3, the pedestal portion 33 has one side (distant from the subject) recessed from the armrest body portion 21 and the other side (side closer to the subject) spread like a skirt to form an armrest body portion. The base portion 34 has a width wider than 32. Note that the pedestal portion 33 may not have the bottom portion 34, and as shown in FIG. 4, the pedestal portion 33 may be symmetrical and both sides may be recessed from the armrest body portion 21. In this case, the pedestal portion 33 has a shorter width than the armrest body portion 32.

  As described above, the armrest 31 is attached along the outer shape of the arm 21 and has a flat shape with respect to the short axis direction. When the subject puts his / her hand on the armrest 31, the thumb can be turned to the back side of the armrest 31. It has a width that is not large and has a continuous pedestal portion 33. In other words, the armrest 31 has a width longer than the distance from the second middle finger joint of the subject's hand to the base of the thumb in the short axis direction. Thereby, the support of the subject itself can be realized only by the fingertip without turning the thumb to the back side of the armrest 31. In other words, it is possible to prevent the tension of the arm and pectoral muscles by turning the thumb to the back side of the armrest 31 and holding it to support itself, and not by the operation of gripping but by the operation of hooking the fingertip, In addition, it is possible to realize stabilization of the body position of the subject itself and elimination of anxiety during imaging while preventing the tension of the greater pectoral muscles from being d.

  FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 show how the armrest 31 is used. The subject's breast is sandwiched between the imaging table 6 and the compression plate 22 and compressed. In this state, the subject places his arm on the armrest 31 and hooks his fingertip, typically up to the second joint, to the edge of the armrest body portion 32 of the armrest 31. In this state, the arm is bent and the chest is pulled to fix the subject to the arm 21.

  As described above, the subject cannot be gripped firmly with the index finger and thumb facing each other as in the prior art, and the subject is fixed to the arm 21 with the fingertip hooked on the armrest body portion 32. . Therefore, excessive tension of the great pectoral muscles can be avoided, and a situation where the breast cannot be successfully spread due to strong tension of the great pectoral muscles can be avoided. Moreover, pressure pain can be relieved.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment as it is, and can be embodied by modifying the constituent elements without departing from the scope of the invention in the implementation stage. In addition, various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the embodiment. For example, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the embodiment. Furthermore, constituent elements over different embodiments may be appropriately combined.

  2 ... X-ray tube, 3 ... High voltage generator, 4 ... Stand, 5 ... X-ray detector, 6 ... Imaging stand, 11 ... 11 ... Compression mechanism, 20 ... Rotating arm, 21 ... Strut, 22 ... Compression plate, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Armrest, 32 ... Armrest main body, 33 ... Base part, 34 ... Bottom part, 35 ... Operation switch.

Claims (8)

An imaging table on which the breast of the subject is placed;
An X-ray tube for generating X-rays;
An arm for holding the X-ray tube and the imaging table;
An X-ray detector for detecting X-rays transmitted through the breast of the subject;
Provided at a position between the image capturing base and the X-ray tube of the arm, said eliminating the state gripped by the subject of the five fingers, and before Symbol fingertip catch portion for generating a state hooking the finger tip of a subject,
A mammography apparatus comprising: The mammography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fingertip hooking portion is provided along an outer shape of the arm. The mammography apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fingertip hooking portion is provided in a U shape when viewed from the standing position side of the subject. A pedestal for installing the fingertip hook on the arm;
4. The mammography apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the pedestal portion has a length substantially equivalent to the fingertip hook portion so that there is no gap between the fingertip hook portion and the arm. The mammography apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pedestal portion has a width shorter than a main body portion of the fingertip hook portion . The mammography apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the fingertip hook portion includes a curved portion having a thickness of at least 15 mm and a flat plate portion having a thickness of at least 15 mm that supports the curved portion.   The mammography apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the pedestal has a thickness of at least 24 mm. 5. The mammography apparatus according to claim 4, wherein one side of the pedestal portion is recessed from the fingertip hooking portion , and the other side extends like a skirt and has a width wider than the fingertip hooking portion .

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