Patent ID: 8175219

Claim:
A breast tomosynthesis system comprising: an x-ray source and an x-ray imaging receptor having first and second lateral sides; a receptor housing concealing the receptor, said housing having a generally flat upper surface having lateral sides and configured to support a patient's breast between the source and the receptor, with the breast extending away from the patient in a direction generally parallel to said lateral sides of the upper surface of the housing; said source being supported for rotational movement relative to the upper surface of the receptor housing from a position closer to one of said lateral sides of the upper surface of the receptor housing to a position closer to the other lateral side of the upper surface of the receptor housing; and said receptor being supported for movement relative to the upper surface of the receptor housing during said rotational movement of the source; a compression paddle and a biasing mechanism coupled with the compression paddle and configured to cause a front end of the compression paddle to tilt against a bias force relative to the receptor housing as a patient's breast is being compressed between the paddle and the upper surface of the receptor housing in first selected imaging modes such that the front end of the paddle is further from the upper surface of the receptor housing than a rear side of the paddle; wherein said movement of the receptor during the rotational movement of the source comprises moving the receptor about a receptor axis that is intermediate the lateral extent of the receptor and generally parallel to the lateral sides of the receptor to move one of the lateral sides of the receptor toward said upper surface.