Patent ID: 8571174
Filing Date: 2013-10-29
Classification: A61B,G16H

Abstract:
1. A method for detecting a possible patient positioning error during x-ray breast image acquisition, the method comprising: positioning, under the control of a user of an image acquisition device, a breast of a patient into a first compressed imaging position according to a first view of the image acquisition device; acquiring a first mammographic image of the breast in the first compressed imaging position; positioning, under the control of the user, the breast into a second compressed imaging position according to a second view of the image acquisition device; acquiring a second mammographic image of the breast in the second compressed imaging position; processing the first and second mammographic images to compute, for each of the first and second mammographic images, at least one breast volume assessment metric; comparing the at least one breast volume assessment metric for the first mammographic image to the at least one breast volume assessment metric for the second mammographic image and, if the breast volume assessment metrics differ by more than a threshold amount, activating at least one user interface device associated with the image acquisition device that alerts the user of a possible breast positioning error based at least in part upon the difference.