Combined impedance imaging and mammography

Abstract

A probe for impedance imaging comprising: a plurality of conductive elements adapted to contact tissue of a subject; a plurality of conductive wires connecting the conductive elements to an external connector, and one or more non-conductive materials, wherein the x-ray absorbance of the non-conductive materials, in at least some of the surface areas of the probe, is a function of the x-ray absorbance of the conductive wires and elements in the same surface area, such that the probe has substantially the same x-ray absorbance over most of the surface area of the probe.

1 . A probe for impedance imaging comprising: 
 a plurality of conductive elements adapted to contact tissue of a subject;    a plurality of conductive wires connecting the conductive elements to an external connector; and    one or more non-conductive materials,    wherein the x-ray absorbance of the non-conductive materials, in at least some of the surface areas of the probe, is a function of the x-ray absorbance of the conductive wires and elements in the same surface area, such that the probe has substantially the same x-ray absorbance over most of the surface area of the probe.    
     
     
         2 . A probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-conductive materials comprise a substrate layer having different thickness at different surface areas of the probe.  
     
     
         3 . A probe according to  claim 2 , wherein the substrate layer is thinner in surface areas of the probe which include conductive wires.  
     
     
         4 . A probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-conductive materials comprise at least one isolating material which has an x-ray absorbency substantially equal to the x-ray absorbency of the conductive elements or of the conductive wires.  
     
     
         5 . A probe according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of conductive elements comprise an aluminum-based deposit and the at least one isolating material comprises alumina.  
     
     
         6 . A probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the one or more non-conductive materials comprise at least one isolating material which is deposited between at least some of the conductive elements.  
     
     
         7 . A probe according to  claim 1 , wherein the x-ray absorption level of at least some of the surface areas including the conductive elements is substantially equal to the absorption level of at least some of the surface areas not including the conductive elements.  
     
     
         8 . A probe according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plurality of lead wires are included in a single layer which has a substantially equal x-ray absorption level over substantially its entire surface area.  
     
     
         9 . A probe according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the probe does not include conductive portions which are not included in an electrical path between one of the conductive elements and the external connector.  
     
     
         10 . A probe according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the probe has an x-ray absorption level of less than 6%.  
     
     
         11 . A probe for impedance imaging comprising: 
 a tissue contact layer which includes a plurality of conductive elements adapted to contact tissue of a subject;    one or more wire layers which include a plurality of conductive wires connecting the conductive elements to at least one external connector; and    a substrate layer,    wherein at least one of the tissue contact layer or the wire layers has less than 2% variations in its x-ray absorbance over a surface area including a plurality of the conductive elements.    
     
     
         12 . A probe according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the tissue contact layer or the wire layers has less than 2% variations in its x-ray absorbance over most of the surface area of the probe.  
     
     
         13 . A probe according to  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the tissue contact layer or the wire layers has less than 0.25% variations in its x-ray absorbance over a surface area including a plurality of the conductive elements.  
     
     
         14 . A probe according to any of claims  11 - 13 , wherein the layer with less than 2% variations in its x-ray absorbance comprises the tissue contact layer.  
     
     
         15 . A probe according to  claim 14 , wherein the tissue contact layer comprises an isolation material between at least some of the conductive elements.  
     
     
         16 . A probe according to  claim 15 , wherein the isolation material in the tissue contact layer has substantially the same thickness as the conductive elements.  
     
     
         17 . A probe according to  claim 15  or  claim 16 , wherein the isolation material has substantially the same x-ray absorbancy as a material forming the conductive elements.  
     
     
         18 . A probe according to  claim 17 , wherein the isolation material comprises alumina and the material forming the conductive elements comprises aluminum.  
     
     
         19 . A probe according to  claim 17 , wherein the isolation material comprises carbon and the material forming the conductive elements comprises a carbon based plastic.  
     
     
         20 . A probe according to  claim 15 , wherein the isolation material in the tissue contact layer has a different thickness than the conductive elements.  
     
     
         21 . A probe according to  claim 15  or  claim 20 , wherein the isolation material has a different x-ray absorbancy than a material forming the conductive elements.  
     
     
         22 . A probe according to any of claims  11 - 21 , wherein the layer with less than 2% variations in its x-ray absorbance comprises the wire layer.  
     
     
         23 . A probe according to  claim 22 , wherein the wires in the wire layer are separated by an isolation material having substantially the same x-ray absorbancy as a material forming the wires.  
     
     
         24 . A breast impedance imaging apparatus, comprising: 
 a first multi-element impedance imaging probe, adapted for placing on a first side of a breast; and    a second multi-element impedance imaging probe, having a different structure than the first impedance imaging probe, adapted for placing on a second side of the breast.    
     
     
         25 . Apparatus according to  claim 24 , comprising a mammogram including an x-ray source and an image receptor adapted for taking images of the breast.  
     
     
         26 . Apparatus according to  claim 25 , wherein the mammogram is adapted to generate images based on x-ray signals which pass through at least one of the first and second probes.  
     
     
         27 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 26 , wherein the first and second probes have different numbers of elements.  
     
     
         28 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 27 , wherein the first and second probes have elements of different sizes.  
     
     
         29 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 26 , wherein the first and second probes have the same number of elements.  
     
     
         30 . Apparatus according to  claim 29 , wherein the first and second probes have the same arrangement of elements.  
     
     
         31 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 30 , wherein the first and second probes have different average x-ray absorption levels.  
     
     
         32 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 31 , wherein the first and second probes have different maximal differences between x-ray absorption levels of different areas of the probe.  
     
     
         33 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 32 , wherein the first and second probes comprise different materials.  
     
     
         34 . Apparatus according to any of claims  24 - 33 , wherein the first probe comprises a single piece and the second probe comprises a plurality of detachable pieces.  
     
     
         35 . A breast impedance imaging apparatus, comprising: 
 a mammogram including an x-ray source and an image receptor adapted for taking images of a breast;    a first, multi-element, impedance imaging probe, adapted for placing on a first side of a breast; and    a second impedance imaging probe, having a different structure than the first impedance imaging probe, adapted for placing on a second side of the breast.    
     
     
         36 . Apparatus according to  claim 35 , wherein the second probe comprises a single element probe.  
     
     
         37 . Apparatus according to  claim 36  wherein the impedance imaging apparatus comprises a structure according to any of claims  24 - 34 .  
     
     
         38 . A method of imaging a body portion of a subject, comprising: 
 acquiring an x-ray image of the body portion;    determining at least one impedance imaging parameter responsive to the acquired x-ray image; and    acquiring an impedance image of the body portion using the determined at least one imaging parameter.    
     
     
         39 . A method according to  claim 38 , wherein determining the at least one parameter comprises determining at least one parameter of an applied stimulation signal.  
     
     
         40 . A method according to  claim 38  or  claim 39 , wherein determining the at least one parameter comprises determining an area to be imaged.  
     
     
         41 . A method according to any of claims  38 - 40 , wherein determining the at least one parameter comprises determining a position of a suspected anomaly.  
     
     
         42 . A method of imaging a body portion of a subject, comprising: 
 acquiring impedance image information of the body portion;    acquiring x-ray image information of the body portion; and    analyzing a first one of the impedance image information and x-ray image information; and    displaying at least one image based on information selected, from a second one of the impedance image information and x-ray image information, responsive to the analyzing.    
     
     
         43 . A method according to  claim 42 , wherein analyzing the first one of the impedance image information and x-ray image information comprises analyzing the x-ray information.  
     
     
         44 . A method according to  claim 42  or  claim 43 , wherein analyzing the information comprises determining a location of an anomaly.  
     
     
         45 . A method according to any of claims  42 - 44 , wherein analyzing the information comprises determining an impedance measure to be displayed.