Breast holder for mammograph

Claim 2

Apparatus for holding a breast of a female in a flattened position away from her body, comprising: a frame including at least two opposite generally parallel sides supported in a fixed spatial relationship with each other; a first U-shaped plate held between the sides of said frame and generally perpendicular thereto, said first plate oriented to open upward and having a flexible membrane held in tension thereby, said membrane being substantially transparent to compressional wave radiation in at least the ultrasonic range; a guide slot in each of said opposing frame members generally perpendicular to said first plate, said slots being substantially parallel with each other; a second U-shaped plate having outwardly extending guide members on opposite sides thereof, said guide members mounted in said guide slots to hold said second plate rotatably and slidably between said frame sides, said second plate oriented to open upward and having a flexible membrane held in tension thereby, said membrane being substantially transparent to compressional wave radiation in at least the ultrasonic range; and means for drawing said second U-shaped plate relative to said frame sides toward said first U-shaped plate in a manner that said second U-shaped plate may be rotated about an axis joining its guide members while being moved toward the first U-shaped plate.

Claim 3

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said flexible membranes are made of a polymeric film material.

Claim 4

Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said means for drawing said second plate toward the first plate includes a first means operably connected to the second plate on one side of the axis joining its guide members and a second means independent of said first means operably connected to the second plate on an opposite side of the axis joining its guide members.

Claim 5

A female patient supporting table for compressional wave energy diagnostic examination of a female breast, comprising: an open top tank adapted to contain a compressional wave energy transmitting liquid; a rigid generally horizontal patient supporting member positioned over said tank and having a patient supporting surface on an upper side with an underneath side acting as a cover to said tank; an opening through said supporting member adapted to accommodate a breast of a female patient lying on said table surface, said opening being surrounded by an area of said supporting surface that slopes gently toward the opening thereby to depress said opening somewhat into said tank; a pair of surface depressions in the sloping area of the supporting surface on either side of said opening, each depression shaped to accommodate a shoulder of the patient, whereby a female patient lying partially on her side may engage one of said shoulder depressions to completely insert a breast into said tank through said opening; a pair of flexible membranes in tension held by the underneath side of said patient supporting membrane and positioned within said tank on opposite sides of said opening, said membranes being substantially transparent to compressional wave radiation in at least the ultrasonic range and shaped to accommodate the female breast in compression therebetween; and means for drawing at least one of said membranes relative to the patient supporting member toward the other membrane, including means for Tilting at least one of said sheets relative to the patient supporting member as they are drawn together.

Claim 6

A female patient supporting table for compressional wave energy diagnostic examination of a female breast, comprising: an open top tank adapted to contain a compressional wave energy transmitting liquid; a rigid generally horizontal patient supporting member positioned over said tank and having a patient supporting surface on an upper side with an underneath side acting as a cover to said tank; an opening through said supporting member adapted to accommodate a breast of a female patient lying on said table surface, said opening being surrounded by an area of said supporting surface that slopes gently toward the opening thereby to depress said opening somewhat into said tank; a pair of surface depressions in the sloping area of the supporting surface on either side of said opening, each depression shaped to accommodate a shoulder of the patient, whereby a female patient lying partially on her side may engage one of said shoulder depressions to completely insert a breast into said tank through said opening; a pair of flexible membranes in tension held by the underneath side of said patient supporting membrane and positioned within said tank on opposite sides of said opening, said membranes being substantially transparent to compressional wave radiation in at least the ultrasonic range and shaped to accommodate the female breast in compression therebetween; and means for drawing at least one of said membranes relative to the patient supporting member toward the other membrane, including means for Tilting at least one of said sheets relative to the patient supporting member as they are drawn together.

Claim 7

The female patient supporting table according to claim 4 wherein each of said flexible membranes is held stretched across a rigid U-shaped frame opening upward.

Claim 8

The female patient supporting table according to claim 5 wherein said flexible membranes are made of a polymeric film material.