US 12,239,471 B2
System and method for dual energy and/or contrast enhanced breast imaging for screening, diagnosis and biopsy
Andrew P. Smith, Lexington, MA (US); Jay A. Stein, Boston, MA (US); Zhenxue Jing, Chadds Ford, PA (US); Baorui Ren, Andover, MA (US); Loren Niklason, N Tetonia, ID (US); Christopher Ruth, Boxford, MA (US); and Ian Shaw, Yorktown Heights, NY (US)
Assigned to Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed by Hologic, Inc., Marlborough, MA (US)
Filed on Jun. 17, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/843,417.
Application 17/843,417 is a continuation of application No. 16/439,131, filed on Jun. 12, 2019, granted, now 11,406,332.
Application 16/439,131 is a continuation of application No. 14/695,090, filed on Apr. 24, 2015, granted, now 10,357,211, issued on Jul. 23, 2019.
Application 14/695,090 is a continuation of application No. 13/415,675, filed on Mar. 8, 2012, granted, now 9,020,579, issued on Apr. 28, 2015.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/450,304, filed on Mar. 8, 2011.
Prior Publication US 2022/0386969 A1, Dec. 8, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61B 6/02 (2006.01); A61B 6/00 (2024.01); A61B 6/40 (2024.01); A61B 6/46 (2024.01); A61B 6/50 (2024.01)
CPC A61B 6/025 (2013.01) [A61B 6/463 (2013.01); A61B 6/481 (2013.01); A61B 6/482 (2013.01); A61B 6/502 (2013.01); A61B 6/5235 (2013.01); A61B 6/4035 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for imaging a breast of a patient, the method comprising:
injecting a contrast agent into the patient;
immobilizing, between an x-ray source and an x-ray detector of an imaging system, the breast of the patient;
performing a 2D imaging procedure on the breast of the patient, the 2D imaging procedure being based on dual energy exposures;
generating at least a low energy image obtained at an energy below a k-edge of the contrast agent and a high energy image obtained at an energy above the k-edge of the contrast agent;
processing a dual energy subtraction image from the low energy image and the high energy image, wherein the dual energy subtraction image enhances visualization of abnormalities, the abnormalities characterized by highlighted vascularity of breast tissue under contrast;
displaying at least the dual energy subtraction image on a display of the imaging system;
identifying at least one abnormality within at least the dual energy subtraction image;
performing a single energy 3D imaging procedure on the breast of the patient;
generating a plurality of slice images of the breast of the patient;
reconstructing a plurality of projection images from the plurality of slice images;
identifying a subset of the plurality of projection images that the at least one abnormality appears in; and
displaying one or more of the subset of the plurality of projection images along with the dual energy subtraction image on the display.