Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A system for imaging a patient's breast with x-rays comprising:a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge;an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor,a breast platform for supporting a patient's breast for x-ray imaging:a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement at least (a) along a direction of said proximal edge before compressing a patient's breast against the breast platform and (b) along a direction of said beam to thereafter compress the breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and to release the breast after said imaging;wherein at least for selected breast x-ray protocols a patient's breast is positioned off-center relative to said proximal edge and said paddle also is positioned off-center relative the proximal edge, according to said off-center position of the breast, to compress the breast against the breast platform and toward the receptor for x-ray imaging; andan anti-scatter grid mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor for selective movement relative to the x-ray receptor and the breast platform between a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid and a second position in which said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid. 2. A system as in claim 1 in which said anti-scatter grid is mounted for movement in a direction transverse to the direction of said proximal edge of the receptor. 3. A system as in claim 1 in which said anti-scatter grid is in said first position for a first imaging mode and in said second position for a second imaging mode. 4. A system as in claim 3 in which said breast platform is spaced from the x-ray receptor by a greater distance in said second imaging mode than in said first imaging mode. 5. A system for imaging a patient's breast with x-rays comprising:a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge;an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor;a breast platform for supporting a patient's breast for x-ray imaging;a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement relative to the breast platform in at least two directions, said compression paddle compressing a patient's breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and releasing the breast from compression after said imaging, and at least a portion of said movement in each of said at least two directions taking place before the breast is in a compressed state for imaging; andan anti-scatter grid mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor For selective movement relative to the x-ray receptor and the breast platform between a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid and a second position in which said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid;said anti-scatter grid being in said first position for imaging the breast with x-rays in a first imaging mode and being in said second position for imaging the breast with x-rays in a second imaging mode that produces x-ray images of the breast different from those produced in the first imaging mode. 6. A system as in claim 5 in which said at least two directions of motion of the compression paddle comprise a first direction and a second direction that is transverse to the first direction. 7. A system as in claim 6 in which said first direction of motion of the compression paddle is in a direction generally parallel to an imaging plane of said x-ray receptor. 8. A system as in claim 6 in which said first direction is generally along the direction of said proximal edge of said x-ray receptor. 9. A system for imaging a patient's breast with x-rays comprising:a flat panel digital x-ray receptor having a proximal edge;an x-ray source selectively emitting a collimated x-ray beam toward the receptor;a breast platform for supporting a patient's breast for x-ray imaging;a compression paddle removably mounted for selective movement relative to the breast platform, said compression paddle compressing a patient's breast against the breast platform before imaging the breast with said x-ray beam and releasing the breast from compression after said imaging; andan anti-scatter grid movably mounted between the breast platform and the x-ray receptor and having a first position in which imaging x-rays reaching the receptor after passing through the breast also pass through the grid;said anti-scatter grid being in said first position for imaging the breast with x-rays in a first imaging mode but being out of said first position, such that said imaging x-rays do not pass through the grid, for imaging the breast with x-rays in a second imaging mode that produces x-ray images of the breast different from those produced in the first imaging mode. 10. A system as in claim 9 in which said compression paddle is mounted for selective motion toward and away from the breast platform to compress and release the patient 's breast and in a direction generally parallel to said proximal edge to offset the paddle relative to the breast platform and the x-ray receptor before compressing the patient's breast. 11. A system as in claim 9 in which said compression paddle has a breast engaging surface that is substantially smaller in area than said imaging surface of the receptor. 12. A system as in claim 11 in which said breast engaging surface of the compression paddle is generally parallel to the imaging surface of said x-ray receptor. 13. A system as in claim 11 in which said compression paddle moves in a direction generally parallel to said proximal edge between an end position in which a lateral edge thereof is generally aligned with an edge of the receptor and a position in which the compression paddle is centered relative to the receptor.