US 11,672,493 B2
Breast compression paddle with access corners
Melissa Banks, Marlborough, MA (US); Mallory Berko, Marlborough, MA (US); Frank Cable, Marlborough, MA (US); Tarpit Patel, Marlborough, MA (US); Kenneth F. Defreitas, Marlborough, MA (US); and Timothy R. Stango, Marlborough, MA (US)
Assigned to Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Appl. No. 16/638,184
Filed by HOLOGIC, INC., Marlborough, MA (US)
PCT Filed Aug. 10, 2018, PCT No. PCT/US2018/046312
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Feb. 11, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/033029, PCT Pub. Date Feb. 14, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/544,615, filed on Aug. 11, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0359975 A1, Nov. 19, 2020
Int. Cl. A61B 6/04 (2006.01); A61B 6/00 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 6/0414 (2013.01) [A61B 6/502 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A breast compression paddle comprising:
a compression portion having:
a front wall configured to be adjacent to and to face towards a chest wall of a patient during imaging, wherein the front wall comprises a front wall height, a curved lower interface, and a front reference plane adjacent the chest wall, the front reference plane being substantially along a vertical direction of the breast compression paddle; and
a bottom wall connected to the curved lower interface and configured to extend away from the chest wall and to be adjacent a length of a top of a compressed breast, wherein the bottom wall comprises a central portion and two outer edge portions at least partially defining the central portion, wherein the two outer edge portions extend away from the front reference plane, wherein the two outer edge portions are a lowermost portion of the breast compression paddle and define a bottom reference plane substantially orthogonal to the front reference plane, and wherein the front wall height is defined between the bottom reference plane and an uppermost portion of the front wall in the vertical direction;
a bracket portion distal from the compression portion, wherein the bracket portion comprises a paddle top surface, a bracket underside surface, and a rear boundary wall, the paddle top surface extending from the rear boundary wall in a direction away from the compression portion. and wherein the paddle top surface comprises a top reference plane disposed a maximum paddle height above the bottom reference plane, and wherein the maximum paddle height is greater than the front wall height; and
a transition wall extending between the bottom wall and the bracket underside surface, wherein an access area is at least partially defined between the bottom reference plane, the transition wall, and the bracket underside surface, and wherein the rear boundary wall is disposed above the access area.