Breast ultrasound scanning template

Abstract

Apparatus and related methods for facilitating volumetric ultrasonic scanning of a breast are described. In one preferred embodiment, a generally cone-shaped radial scanning template having a vertex and a wide opening angle is provided, the radial scanning template having a slot-like opening extending outward from the vertex through which an ultrasound transducer scans the breast as the radial scanning template is rotated. In another preferred embodiment, a flexible membrane for compressing a skin surface of the breast is provided, the flexible membrane being mounted on a mechanical assembly such as a roller assembly to form a slot-like opening through which an ultrasound transducer directly contacts the skin surface, the flexible membrane rising and falling relative to the skin surface but not moving laterally as the slot-like opening and ultrasound transducer move laterally across the compressed breast, whereby stabilization of the breast and direct transducer-skin contact are concurrently achieved.

1 . An apparatus for ultrasonically scanning a breast, comprising: 
 an ultrasound transducer; and    a radial scanning template that compresses the breast in a generally chestward direction, the radial scanning template being generally cone-shaped and having a vertex and an opening angle, the radial scanning template having a slot-like opening extending outward from the vertex through which the ultrasound transducer scans the breast as the radial scanning template is rotated;    wherein said opening angle is substantially greater than ninety degrees.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said opening angle is greater than 135 degrees.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , said radial scanning template including a membrane extending across said slot-like opening, said ultrasound transducer scanning the breast through said membrane.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , said ultrasound transducer being a sole ultrasound transducer, wherein said radial scanning template is rotated by 360 degrees plus an overlap angle during said scan of the breast, said overlap angle being in a range of 5 to 45 degrees, whereby breast tissue within the overlap angle is scanned twice for facilitating reduction of a discontinuity in a resulting volumetric representation of the breast.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , said ultrasound transducer being a first ultrasound transducer and said slot-like opening being a first slot-like opening, said apparatus further comprising (N−1) additional ultrasound transducers, N≧2, said radial scanning template defining (N−1) additional slot-like openings through which said (N−1) additional ultrasound transducers, respectively, scan the breast as the radial scanning template is rotated by at least 360/N degrees during said scan of the breast.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , said radial scanning template having an oblong base, at least two of said ultrasound transducers having different lengths corresponding to different vertex-to-base distances around said base, wherein a longer of said at least two ultrasound transducers corresponds to an axillary section of the breast.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein at least two of said ultrasound transducers differ in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: ultrasonic scan frequency, tilt angle from a plane that is perpendicular to a coronal plane, ultrasound scanning mode, and beamsteering angle.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said vertex of said radial scanning template is positioned atop a nipple of the breast, and wherein a center of rotation of said radial scanning template is located at said vertex.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said radial scanning template is at least slightly arced in a manner that causes the general cone shape thereof to also at least partially resemble a general dome shape, and wherein said ultrasound transducer has a corresponding arc-shaped scanning surface.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a scanning surface of the ultrasound transducer has fewer rows of transducer elements nearer said vertex and more rows transducer elements farther from said vertex for promoting at least one of voxel element uniformity and faster scanning intervals.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the ultrasound transducer comprising a linear array of transducer elements, wherein transducer elements farther from said vertex are fired at more rotational positions than transducer elements nearer to said vertex during said scan of the breast for promoting at least one of voxel element uniformity and faster scanning intervals.  
   
   
       12 . An apparatus for ultrasonically scanning a breast, comprising: 
 a plurality of ultrasound transducers; and    a scanning template comprising a generally cone-shaped surface that compresses the breast in a generally chestward direction, the generally cone-shaped surface having a vertex and defining a plurality of slot-like openings extending outward from the vertex, said plurality of ultrasound transducers scanning the breast through respective ones of the slot-like openings as the scanning template is rotated to ultrasonically scan the breast.    
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , said scanning template having an opening angle that is greater than 135 degrees.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of membranes extending across respective ones of said slot-like openings, said ultrasound transducers scanning the breast through corresponding ones of said membranes.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , said scanning template having an oblong base, at least two of said ultrasound transducers having different lengths corresponding to different vertex-to-base distances around said base, wherein a longer of said at least two ultrasound transducers corresponds to an axillary section of the breast.  
   
   
       16 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein at least two of said ultrasound transducers differ in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of: ultrasonic scan frequency, tilt angle from a plane that is perpendicular to a coronal plane, ultrasound scanning mode, and beamsteering angle.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein at least one of said slot-like openings is at least partially skewed relative to a line extending radially from the vertex and passing therethrough.  
   
   
       18 . An apparatus for ultrasonically scanning a breast having a skin surface, comprising: 
 an ultrasound transducer having a scanning surface; and    a flexible membrane pressing against the skin surface, the flexible membrane being mounted on a mechanical assembly such that a slot-like opening is formed by a local rising and falling of the flexible membrane relative to the skin surface, the scanning surface of the ultrasound transducer directly contacting the skin surface through said slot-like opening, the flexible membrane not moving laterally as the slot-like opening and ultrasound transducer move laterally across the breast to scan the breast;    whereby stabilization of the breast and direct transducer-skin contact are concurrently achieved during the scan of the breast.    
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said mechanical assembly comprises a roller assembly.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said flexible membrane compresses the breast in a generally chestward direction during the scan of the breast.