Patent attributes
A system for breast computed tomography includes a table supporting a patient in a prone position with an opening positioned for a breast of the patient to extend downwards therethrough, a gantry assembly positioned beneath the table with a platform driven to rotate by a motor, an x-ray source assembly coupled to the platform to rotate therewith and positioned to irradiate with an x-ray beam at least a portion of the breast, and a detector assembly coupled to the platform to rotate therewith and positioned to receive the x-ray beam from the x-ray source assembly. The system includes a shielding enclosure rigidly mounted atop the platform to rotate therewith, enclosing during rotation of the platform the detector assembly, the breast, and the x-ray beam, and having walls composed of a material and a thickness to attenuate an x-ray beam of a predetermined energy and intensity by a predetermined amount.
