SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTI-AXIS IMAGING OF SPECIMENS

摘要

A specimen holding and positioning apparatus operable to substantially non-movably maintain a specimen (e.g., an excised tissue specimen) in a fixed or stable orientation with respect to the apparatus during imaging operations (e.g., x-ray imaging), transport (e.g., from a surgery room to a pathologist's laboratory), and the like for use in facilitating accurate detection and diagnosis of cancers and/or other abnormalities of the specimen.

主权项

1. An apparatus for positionably retaining a tissue specimen for imaging, comprising:
a first positioning member comprising a portion thereof that is at least partially elastically deformable; a second positioning member comprising a portion thereof that is at least partially elastically deformable, wherein the first and second positioning members are fixably positionable to allow the portions of the first and second positioning members to retain a tissue specimen therebetween within a specimen support volume of the apparatus, wherein first and second orthogonal axes of the apparatus extend through the specimen support volume, and wherein a reference plane extends between the portions of the first and second positioning members when the first and second positioning members are fixably positioned relative to each other; a first volume extending about and along the first axis from a first external side of the apparatus to a second external side of the apparatus and encompassing the specimen support volume; and a second volume extending about and along the second axis from a third external side of the apparatus to a fourth external side of the apparatus and encompassing the specimen support volume, wherein the first and second volumes are free of any portion having a density greater than either a density of the portion of the first positioning member or a density of the portion of the second positioning member.