Method and apparatus for thin needle biopsy in connection with mammography

• US 5,107,843 A
• Filed: 04/05/1991
• Issued: 04/28/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gendex Del Medical Imaging Corp. (Steel Partners Holdings LP)
• Original Assignee: Orion-Yhtyma OY
• Inventors: Aarnio, Jaakko A., Turkumaki, Terho
• Primary Examiner(s): HINDENBURG, MAX F
• Application Number:
  US07/680,872
• Time in Patent Office: 389 Days
• Field of Search: 128/662.05, 128/664, 128/665, 128/749, 128/754, 128/755
• US Class Current: 600/461
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/3403 Needle locating or guiding means guides for suture needles A61B17/0482; guiding or tracking by nuclear magnetic resonance G01R33/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/502 for diagnosis of breast, i.e. mammography

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for thin needle biopsy in connection with mammography, wherein a stationary target is radiographed from two angles by means of a rotating picture head, the pictures are placed on a separate measurement table, and the x-, y-, and z-coordinates of the desired site in the target are calculated on the basis of the two pictures in a known manner. In the method, measuring means (3,4) on the measuring table are brought to the calculated x-, y-coordinates and a detachable needle guide (10) is placed in an attachment means (6) on the measurement table and the needle guide (10) is adjusted to these coordinates indicated by the measuring means (3,4), and the z-coordinate is adjusted by means of a scale in the needle guide (10), whereafter the adjusted needle guide is attached to the attachment means (9) in the mammography apparatus, the attachment means being in the same position with respect to the calculated coordinates as is the attachment means (6) on the measurement table, and a biopsy is carried out by pressing the needle manually into the target. The invention also relates to an assembly for embodying the method.

Claims

1. A method for locating a needle for thin needle biopsy comprising:

radiographing a stationary target from two angles using a rotating picture head to obtain two pictures;

placing said two pictures onto a measurement table;

calculating the coordinates of the desired site in the target on the basis of the two pictures;

providing a detachable needle guide on said measurement table and adjusting said needle guide in accordance with the calculated coordinates.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said adjusted needle guide is attached to a mammography apparatus such that said needle guide is attached in substantially the same direction as the manner in which said needle guide is attached to said measurement table with respect to said calculated coordinates to align the needle guide towards the desired site in the target.

3. An apparatus for locating a needle for thin needle biopsy comprising:

a mammography apparatus, said mammography apparatus including a rotating picture head to obtain two pictures of a biopsy target;

a detachable needle guide which can be attached to a fixed attachment means in said mammography apparatus;

a separate measurement table, said separate measurement table having a fixed attachment means for said needle guide;

measuring means on said measurement table for measuring and calculating coordinates of said biopsy target from said two pictures;

wherein said fixed attachment means on said measurement table and said fixed attachment means on said mammography apparatus are located in the same position with respect to coordinates calculated from said two pictures of said biopsy target.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the measuring means are digital.