Patent · US Expired

Breast cancer screening with adjunctive ultrasound mammography

US7556602B2 · kind B2 · utility

61Cited by
93References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 2002
Grant dateJul 7, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 28, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61B8/565
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Ultrasound mammography in which an automated transducer scans the patient's breast to generate many images of thin slices that are processed into few images of thick slices that can be displayed simultaneously for practical rapid assessment of the breast. The thin-slice images can be acquired by a technician so that a physician need only spend time in assessing the few displayed thick-slice images and, possibly, only a few of the thin-slice images that might match a suspected anomaly indicated in the thick-slice images. Computer-aided detection or diagnosis (CAD) can be performed on the images and resulting mark and/or other information can be displayed as well. Vibration images can be obtained as well and similarly processed and displayed to highlight abnormalities or for other reasons.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.