Patent ID: 7826588

Claim:
An apparatus for generating digital x-ray images of an examination subject and of a sample excised from the examination subject, comprising: an x-ray source that emits x-rays; a digital x-ray detector disposed relative to said x-ray source to detect said x-rays emitted by said x-ray source; a support arrangement adapted to simultaneously support a subject and a sample excised from said subject and located outside of said subject; said x-ray source being configurable in a first configuration to irradiate said subject on said support arrangement, said digital x-ray detector detecting x-rays emitted from said x-ray source that are attenuated by said subject; and said x-ray source being configurable in a second configuration to irradiate only a portion of said digital x-ray detector, with said sample located between said x-ray source and the irradiated portion of the digital x-ray detector, to generate an x-ray image only of said sample on said support arrangement outside of said subject, without irradiating said subject, while said subject remains on said support arrangement between said x-ray source and said digital x-ray detector.