MAMMOGRAPHY PATIENT CONTACT TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mammography imaging assembly which is associated with a monitor for breast cancer screening, generally speaking. SOLUTION: An imaging detector bucky (16) of a mammography imaging assembly (10) comprises a patient exposure surface (20) facing the imaging signal generation assembly (14). A thermo-sensor assembly is positioned to monitor temperature at the patient exposure surface (20). A thermo-generating element (26) is in thermal communication with the patient exposure surface (20). A logic (24) is in communication with at least one thermo-sensor assembly and the thermo-generating element (26) such that it controls heat generated by the thermo-generating element (26) and the temperature of the patient exposure surface is controlled. A compression paddle (22) is movably positioned between the imaging signal generation assembly (14) and the imaging detector bucky (16). COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI