Patent ID: 7940890

Claim:
An apparatus for use in imaging an area of interest within a patient's breast, comprising: a stationary frame; a rotating assembly mounted on the stationary frame, the rotating assembly including an axle assembly having a first axis of rotation that is orthogonal to a patient's chest wall, a collimator from which a fan-shaped X-ray beam exits towards a detector assembly, and a rotating frame carrying the detector assembly and pivoting about the first axis of rotation; the detector assembly comprising a linear X-ray detector for detecting the fan-shaped X-ray beam after the beam passes through the area of interest; the rotating assembly being mechanically coupled to a motor that enables arcuate movement of the detector assembly in a transverse direction; the motor enabling rotational movement of the rotating assembly by driving the rotating assembly and applying a force at a location offset from the first axis of rotation, wherein the arcuate movement and the rotational movement are synchronized, and further comprising a screw coupled to the motor and to the rotating assembly, wherein the screw translates rotational force from the motor into the arcuate movement of the detector.