Patent ID: 8526698
Filing Date: 2013-09-03
Classification: G01R

Abstract:
1. A method for imaging a human breast to map the breast ductal tree comprising the steps of: a) diffusion tensor imaging of a breast with high spatial resolution; b) tracking the breast ductal tree using a protocol for breast based on echo-planar imaging (EPI) diffusion designed for optimizing diffusion weightings (b values), number of non-collinear directions for tensor calculations, diffusion, echo and repetition times, spatial resolution, signal to noise, scanning time and a sequence for fat suppression; c) calculating the diffusion tensor by a non-linear best fit algorithm; d) diagonalizing with principal component analysis to three eigenvectors and their corresponding eigen values; e) obtaining a vector field map for tracking of breast ducts of the ductal trees along the direction of the 1 f) displaying the ductal tree on a voxel by voxel basis in parametric images using color coding and vector pointing.