JP2008036279A - Mammography equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily recognize a breast compression state by a compression tool in a mammography apparatus.
A pressing member 16 that presses a breast M of a subject placed on an imaging table 13 from above is formed of a transparent or translucent material, and a transmitted light unit 19 is joined thereto. Then, the pressing force of the breast by the pressing member is detected, the transmitted light unit is caused to emit light in different colors depending on whether the pressing force is appropriate or exceeds the appropriate pressing force, and this light is introduced into the pressing member. Therefore, the pressing member is displayed in a color corresponding to the pressed state.
As a result, the pressing state of the breast that is most noticeable as the mammography apparatus is displayed in different emission colors, so that the parties can quickly and easily recognize the situation and the like.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention particularly relates to a mammogram apparatus for radiographing a breast as a subject.

  For example, breast X-ray imaging is performed by a mammography apparatus for breast cancer screening. In this mammography apparatus, an X-ray tube that generates X-rays and an imaging table that stores an X-ray detector that detects X-rays are arranged opposite to each other, and a breast as a subject is flattened on the imaging table. A compression tool for pressing from above is provided for placement, and unlike a general stomach or lung imaging, it has a structure suitable for X-ray imaging of the breast.

When X-ray imaging is performed, the breast is pressed so as to be sandwiched between the compression tool and the imaging table, so that the breast is pressed flat on the imaging table and X-rays emitted from the X-ray tube are applied to the breast. Irradiation and copying as an X-ray transmission image on an X-ray detector such as an X-ray film (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the mammography apparatus, since the subject is the breast, the tube voltage applied between the cathode and the anode of the X-ray tube is relatively about 20 Kv to 30 Kv, unlike the case of imaging the stomach and lungs. It is low.
JP-A-4-9145

  By the way, in the X-ray imaging of the breast, the subject is required to stand still for a certain time in a state where the breast placed on the imaging table is compressed by the compression tool. For this reason, the subject is painful when the compressed state continues, and is further required to maintain a still state while feeling the pain, so the pain is to be doubled. However, it is necessary to compress the breast with a compression tool and maintain a stationary state in order to perform proper X-ray imaging, but there may be cases where the stationary instruction is not properly transmitted to the subject. There was a problem that there was. Therefore, if the subject moves during radiography, an appropriate examination image cannot be obtained, and this may lead to unnecessary radiological exposure to the subject by repeating radiography many times. There is also a problem that it may be difficult for the operator to determine whether or not the pressure applied by the tool is appropriate.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, an invention described in claim 1 is directed to an X-ray generator, an imaging table having an X-ray detector disposed opposite to the X-ray generator, and a subject placed on the imaging table. A pressing member made of a transparent or translucent material that presses the breast from above, a driving means for driving the pressing member up and down, and a pressing force of the breast by the pressing member driven by the driving means A pressure detecting means for detecting, a comparing means for comparing the pressing force detected by the pressing force detecting means with a preset appropriate pressing force setting value, and emitting light of a color based on a comparison result in the comparing means, A mammography apparatus comprising a light emitting means joined to a pressing member.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the mammography apparatus according to the first aspect, the color light based on the instructions from the operator to the subject is different from the comparison result of the comparison means. It further comprises information display setting means for causing the light emitting means to emit light of color.

  As indicated in the section of means for solving the above-described problems, according to the invention described in claim 1, the pressing member that is most noticeable as a mammography apparatus is displayed in different colors depending on the situation. Since the pressed state of the breast is displayed by emitting light, the party can quickly and easily recognize the situation. Further, there is no time delay until the recognition by the party reading the mark or character, and the situation can be recognized instantaneously.

  According to the invention described in claim 2, not only the pressed state of the breast but also instructions from the operator to the subject can be displayed on the pressing member, and the equipment can be used effectively. can do.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a mammography apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing the configuration of an embodiment of a mammography apparatus according to the present invention.

  The mammography apparatus includes an imaging unit 10 that is a structure, a control unit 20 that organically controls each component of the imaging unit 10, and an operator inputs various setting values and operation instructions to the control unit 20. The operation unit 30 is configured to operate.

  An X-ray tube 11 that generates X-rays and an X-ray diaphragm 12 that limits the X-ray irradiation range are provided above the imaging unit 10, and the imaging table 13 is spaced apart so as to face the X-ray tube 11. Is provided. The imaging table 13 is used to place a breast M as a subject, and an X-ray detector 14 such as an X-ray film cassette for detecting X-rays is disposed below the imaging table 13. A support column 15 is vertically arranged in the vertical direction of the photographing unit 10, and a pressing member 16 is engaged with the support column 15 via an arm 16a so as to be movable in the vertical direction as indicated by an arrow. . The pressing member 16 is made of a transparent or translucent material.

  And the drive device 17 which moves the arm 16a to the up-down direction along the support | pillar 15 is provided. Since the pressing member 16 is firmly coupled to the arm 16a, when the arm 16a moves up and down, the pressing member 16 also follows and moves up and down. The pressing member 16 is for compressing the breast M placed on the imaging table 13 at the time of X-ray imaging, and the imaging device is lowered by lowering the pressing member 16 from above to the imaging table 13 side by the driving device 17. It plays a role of pressing the breast M placed on 13 to fix it flatly on the imaging table 13. In addition, the imaging unit 10 is provided with a sensor 18 that detects a pressing force when the pressing member 16 is pressing the breast M. Further, a transmission light unit 19 made of, for example, an LED described later is provided at the end of the pressing member 16.

  On the other hand, the control unit 20 is moved up and down by an X-ray controller 21 that controls tube voltage, tube current, and irradiation time for irradiating X-rays from the X-ray tube 11 and the driving device 17, and is moved to the breast M. Drive controller 22 for controlling the pressing force (that is, movement amount) of the pressing member 16 that presses the pressure, an appropriate pressing force setting device 23 for setting an appropriate pressing force of the breast M by the pressing member 16, and this appropriate pressing force setting device. The comparator 24 compares the appropriate pressing force set to 23 with the actual pressing force of the breast M detected by the sensor 18, and supplies a drive signal to the transmitted light unit 19 based on the comparison result by the comparator 24. A transmitted light controller 25 is provided. In addition to the output signal from the comparator 24, the transmitted light controller 25 is also connected with a display information setting unit 26 for displaying various information on the transmitted light unit 19.

  The transmitted light unit 19 is configured by, for example, an LED, and is controlled to emit light in various colors such as red, blue, and yellow based on a signal from the transmitted light controller 25. That is, for the output of the comparator 24, the transmitted light controller 25 controls the transmitted light unit 19 so as to emit monochromatic light corresponding to the output level, and for the output of the display information setting unit 26, The transmitted light controller 25 controls the light emission of the transmitted light unit 19 so that the color differs from that for the output of the comparator 24. The light emitted from the transmitted light unit 19 is introduced into the pressing member 16 through the joint surface.

  The control unit 20 is connected to an operation unit 30 provided with a pointing device such as a mouse or a trackball as well as a keyboard or a touch panel for an operator to give a predetermined instruction to the control unit 20.

  Next, the operation of the embodiment of the mammography apparatus according to the present invention configured as described above will be described.

  The subject places the breast M on the imaging table 13 in front of the imaging unit 10 of the mammography apparatus. Therefore, the operator performs adjustment for determining the imaging position of the breast M, operates the operation unit 30, and lowers the pressing member 16. Accordingly, the breast M is gradually pressed so as to be flat on the imaging table 13 by being pressed by the pressing member 16. At this time, if the sensor 18 detects that the appropriate pressing force set in advance for the appropriate pressing force setting device 23 has been reached, a signal indicating that the appropriate pressing force has been reached is transmitted from the comparator 24. It is supplied to the light controller 25. In response to this signal, the transmitted light controller 25 sends a control signal for emitting blue light, for example, to the transmitted light unit 19. Therefore, the LED of the transmitted light unit 19 emits blue light. The blue light emission of the transmitted light unit 19 is introduced into the pressing member 16 formed of a transparent or translucent material, and changes as if the entire pressing member 16 is colored blue. Therefore, the operator can know that the breast M has been pressed onto the imaging table 13 with an appropriate pressing force because the pressing member 16 has changed to blue, and X-rays can be emitted from the X-ray tube 11. X-ray imaging of the breast M is performed by irradiation.

  By the way, if the pressing member 16 continues to descend despite reaching the appropriate pressing force, the breast M is compressed beyond the appropriate pressing force, which causes great pain to the subject. Therefore, when a signal indicating that the pressing force detected by the sensor 18 from the comparator 24 exceeds the appropriate pressing force is supplied to the transmitted light controller 25, the transmitted light controller 25 receives this signal, For example, a control signal for emitting red light is transmitted to the transmitted light unit 19 to cause the LED of the transmitted light unit 19 to emit red light. Accordingly, the entire pressing member 16 changes as if it is colored in red. From this, it can be seen that the breast M is in a state of being compressed beyond the appropriate pressing force, and the operator raises the lowering of the pressing member 16. The drive device 17 is stopped after conversion.

  Needless to say, when the pressing force detected by the sensor 18 exceeds the appropriate pressing force, the pressing may be automatically released without waiting for the operator's operation.

  Next, a case where an operator's instructions are transmitted to the subject using the pressing member 16 will be described.

  That is, when performing X-ray imaging with an X-ray apparatus as well as a mammography apparatus, the imaging unit 10 is installed in an imaging room shielded so that X-rays do not leak outside, and an operation adjacent to the imaging room is performed. In many cases, the control unit 20 and the operation unit 30 are installed in a room, and an operator remotely operates the photographing unit 10 from the operation room side. In such a case, the instructions of the operator can be transmitted to the subject by displaying the pressing member 16 in a color different from the color related to the appropriate pressing force.

  At this time, a signal is sent from the display information setting unit 26 to the transmitted light controller 25 so that the transmitted light unit 19 emits light in a desired color. That is, for example, when the subject is required to be stationary so as not to move, it is previously communicated that the pressing member 16 is lit yellow. Then, when the operator wants to be stationary so that the operator does not move the subject at the imaging stage, a stationary signal is sent from the operation unit 30 to the display information setting unit 26 to the transmitted light controller 25. The transmitted light controller 25 causes the transmitted light unit 19 to emit yellow light based on the signal transmitted in response to this instruction. Therefore, the pressing member 16 is colored yellow, and the subject tries to be stationary for a while. If there is no need for resting, the operator can cancel the instruction to the display information setting unit 26 and the pressing member 16 returns to the original uncolored state, so that the subject can return to a normal comfortable posture. it can.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the pressing member 16 that is the most visible as a mammography apparatus emits light in different colors, thereby displaying the pressed state of the breast M, the contents of instructions to the subject, and the like. Therefore, there is no time delay until recognition by reading marks and characters, and the situation can be recognized instantaneously.

It is the systematic diagram which showed the structure of one Example of the mammography apparatus which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Imaging | photography part 11 X-ray tube 12 X-ray aperture 13 Imaging stand 14 X-ray detector 15 Support | pillar 16 Pressing member 16a Arm 17 Drive device 18 Sensor 19 Transmitted light unit 20 Control part 21 X-ray controller 22 Drive controller 23 Appropriate pushing Pressure setter 24 Comparator 25 Transmitted light controller 26 Display information setter 30 Operation unit

Claims (2)

An X-ray generator;
An imaging table having an X-ray detector disposed opposite to the X-ray generator;
A pressing member formed of a transparent or translucent material that presses the breast of the subject placed on the imaging table from above;
Driving means for driving the pressing member up and down;
A pressing force detecting means for detecting the pressing force of the breast by the pressing member driven by the driving means;
Comparison means for comparing the pressing force detected by the pressing force detection means with a preset appropriate pressing force set value;
A mammography apparatus, comprising: a light emitting means that emits light of a color based on a comparison result of the comparison means and is joined to the pressing member. It further comprises information display setting means for causing the light emitting means to emit light of a color based on instructions from the operator to the subject as light of a color different from the comparison result of the comparing means. The mammography apparatus according to claim 1.

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