Breast Cancer Detection

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Method and Apparatus for More Accurate Breast Cancer Detection using Cone Beam CT Imaging. Brief Description: This invention is an apparatus and method, specifically aimed at x-ray phase contrast CT imgaging, to create a superior three-dimensional tomographic mammography image. Applications: This technology is designed to provide a three-dimensional tomographic mammography image of a breast of a patient. This invention allows for more rapid and accurate breast cancer detection. Advantages: Breast cancer represents a significant health problem. More than 180,000 new cases are diagnosed, and nearly 45,000 women die of the disease each year in the United States. Therefore, there exists a high demand for breast cancer detection techniques which detect small tumor masses, preferably less than 10 mm in diameter. The objective of this invention is to improve the detectability of breast carcinoma (tumors) of only a few millimeters in size by producing a better low contrast resolution. The inventions flat panel-based CBVCTM system allows one to tomographically isolate an object of interest (e.g., a lesion) from an object (e.g., other lesion or calcification) in adjacent planes. Most importantly, the 3D tomographic reconstructions produced by this technology eliminate lesion overlap and provide a complete, true 3D description of the breast anatomy. This invention allows for superior breast imaging which has the potential to greatly reduce the biopsy rate. This technology could ultimately be the only procedure needed for breast cancer detection. Patent Information: Title Country Patent No. Issued Date Method and Apparatus for Differential Phase-Contrast Fan Beam CT, Cone-Beam CT and Hybrid Cone-Beam CT United States 7,949,095 5/24/2011