Abstract: To enable a biopsy needle to be inserted into a breast under examination on a mammograph, a crank handle-shaped structure is provided which is vertically supported by a shaft and which carries a needle carrier on its handle portion, the vertical axis of rotation passing through a tumor whose position within the breast has been calculated. It is shown that the insertion distance of the needle can be predetermined and that under these conditions a variety of ways of reaching the tumor are made available by rotating the crank-handle shape about its axis. The insertion direction can be selected as a function of criteria applicable to the subsequent surgery and not solely as a function of the structure of the mammograph itself.

Abstract: In order to solve handling problems which arise during use of a mammograph, the x-ray tube of the mammograph is carried by the end of an arm which rotates about an axis at right angles to the arm. The other elements of the mammograph are carried by another arm which is placed in a plane parallel to the plane of rotation of the first arm and rotates about the same axis. It is shown that, by moving the image receiver away from the breast support plate and by utilizing a parallax effect, it is possible to take stereotaxic photographs without entailing any need to displace either the breast support plate or the image receiver or even a radiation-sensitive film placed in a stationary position within the image receiver.

Abstract: The invention relates to mammographs, and more particularly to a device enabling the mammograph to adapt to different sizes of a cassette, and to displace cassettes. The device essentially comprises a sliding member which, when moved, changes the distance between holding pegs to match new lateral dimensions of a the cassette while still pressing the cassette against a reference edge of the table. In addition, the sliding member is carried on a plate member which moves in such a manner that one or other of the side edges of the cassette can be brought into alignment with the corresponding side of the table.