Motorized mammographic biopsy apparatus
DCFirst Claim
1. An apparatus for performing medical procedures on a pendulent breast of a patient in a prone position, comprising:
- a table for supporting a patient in a prone position, the table having a breast aperture therein through which one of the patient'"'"'s breasts is permitted to pendulently protrude;
a compression paddle, disposed beneath said table, for compressing the pendulent breast of the prone patient into a stationary mammographic position within a predetermined frame of reference;
an imaging source and receiver disposed beneath said table and in predetermined relation to said predetermined frame of reference, for imaging the pendulent breast while in the mammographic position, wherein first and second stereotactic images corresponding with two different imaging angles are provided relative to the predetermined frame of reference;
a tissue biopsy assembly, selectively positionable under the table in predetermined relation relative to said predetermined frame of reference, for obtaining a tissue sample from the patient'"'"'s pendulent breast while maintained in the stationary mammographic position;
a display for visually displaying to a user at least a portion of each of said first and second stereotactic images while the patient'"'"'s pendulent breast is maintained in the stationary mammographic position;
a cursor for allowing a user to visually identify and specify, via a first input signal a location of interest on each of said displayed portions of said first and second stereotactic images, wherein digitized two-dimensional information is automatically generated corresponding with the location of interest specified using said cursor in relation to said displayed portions of said first and second stereotactic images;
a processor for using said digitized two-dimensional information and digitized physical information corresponding with one or more physical attributes of said tissue biopsy assembly, to automatically compute positioning information for positioning the tissue biopsy assembly in at least one position relative to said predetermined frame of reference for obtainment of a tissue sample from said location of interest specified using said cursor in relation to said displayed portions of said first and second stereotactic images.
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Abstract
A motorized biopsy needle positioner employed in a mammographic needle biopsy system receives coordinate information representative of an identified point of interest within a patient'"'"'s captive breast under examination and automatically positions a biopsy needle in accordance with that coordinate information to permit insertion of the biopsy needle to the identified point of interest. An offset mode of operation of the motorized biopsy needle positioner automatically positions the biopsy needle in accordance with coordinate information representative of an offset point within the patient'"'"'s breast that is offset from the previously identified point of interest to permit insertion of the biopsy needle to that offset point. A manual mode of operation of the motorized biopsy needle positioner permits the user to actuate directional keys of a user control unit to position the biopsy needle in one or more directions, as specified by the actuated directional keys.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. An apparatus for performing medical procedures on a pendulent breast of a patient in a prone position, comprising:
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a table for supporting a patient in a prone position, the table having a breast aperture therein through which one of the patient'"'"'s breasts is permitted to pendulently protrude; a compression paddle, disposed beneath said table, for compressing the pendulent breast of the prone patient into a stationary mammographic position within a predetermined frame of reference; an imaging source and receiver disposed beneath said table and in predetermined relation to said predetermined frame of reference, for imaging the pendulent breast while in the mammographic position, wherein first and second stereotactic images corresponding with two different imaging angles are provided relative to the predetermined frame of reference; a tissue biopsy assembly, selectively positionable under the table in predetermined relation relative to said predetermined frame of reference, for obtaining a tissue sample from the patient'"'"'s pendulent breast while maintained in the stationary mammographic position; a display for visually displaying to a user at least a portion of each of said first and second stereotactic images while the patient'"'"'s pendulent breast is maintained in the stationary mammographic position; a cursor for allowing a user to visually identify and specify, via a first input signal a location of interest on each of said displayed portions of said first and second stereotactic images, wherein digitized two-dimensional information is automatically generated corresponding with the location of interest specified using said cursor in relation to said displayed portions of said first and second stereotactic images; a processor for using said digitized two-dimensional information and digitized physical information corresponding with one or more physical attributes of said tissue biopsy assembly, to automatically compute positioning information for positioning the tissue biopsy assembly in at least one position relative to said predetermined frame of reference for obtainment of a tissue sample from said location of interest specified using said cursor in relation to said displayed portions of said first and second stereotactic images. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification