Optical needle guide for ultrasound guided needle biopsy

• US 6,702,749 B2
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Corp. (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Corporate Research Incorporated (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Paladini, Gianluca, Sauer, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Ruhl, Dennis W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jung, William C
• Application Number:
  US10/202,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20030028112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 600/407-472, 606/130, 601/2
• US Class Current: 600/464
• 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 2017/3413 guided by ultrasound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0833 involving detecting or locating foreign bodies or organic structures
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments

Abstract

An optical guide for a biopsy needle includes a light projector for producing a line image on a patient'"'"'s skin surface, wherein the light projector is adapted for mounting on an ultrasound transducer such that the line image corresponds with an intersection of the transducer ultrasound plane with the skin surface.

Claims

1. An optical guide for a biopsy needle comprising:

a light projector for producing a line of light on a patient'"'"'s skin surface;

said light projector mounted on an ultrasound transducer exhibiting an ultrasound imaging plane; and

said light projector being aligned such that said line of light corresponds with an intersection of said ultrasound imaging plane with said skin surface so as to indicate a line of potential entry points for said biopsy needle located in said ultrasound imaging plane.

2. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said light projector is mounted by cooperative engagement with said ultrasound transducer.

3. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein said light projector is mounted on said ultrasound transducer by way of a sliding sleeve arrangement fitting over a corresponding handle of said transducer.

4. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 2, wherein sliding sleeve arrangement comprises a slot for facilitating passage of a supply cable to said transducer.

5. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes a laser projector.

6. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes a light emitting diode.

7. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes a light emitting diode array.

8. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes a laser projector in conjunction with line optics.

9. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes a laser projector in conjunction with fiber optics.

10. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes holographic projection.

11. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes a scanning projector.

12. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 11, wherein said scanning projector is a flying spot scanner.

13. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 11, wherein said scanning projector utilizes a mechanically operated scan.

14. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector utilizes slide projection.

15. An optical guide for a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 1, wherein light projector includes means for selecting one of a plurality of colors for said line of light.

16. An optical guide for a biopsy needle comprising:

a light projector for producing a line of light on a patient'"'"'s skin surface;

said light projector incorporated into an ultrasound transducer exhibiting an ultrasound plane, such that said line of light corresponds with an intersection of said ultrasound plane with said skin surface.

17. An optical guide for a biopsy needle as recited in claim 16, wherein at least a portion of said light projector is integrally formed with said ultrasound imaging device.

18. A method for optically guiding a biopsy needle comprising the steps of:

affixing a light projector for producing a line of light on a patient'"'"'s skin onto an ultrasound imaging device, such that said line of light coincides with an imaging plane of said ultrasound device;

ultrasound imaging said patient for a desired biopsy target; and

selecting a point from one of a plurality of potential entry points along the line of light for inserting said biopsy needle in a path toward said target.

19. A method for optically guiding a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 18 wherein said step of selecting a point further comprises the step of:

aligning the biopsy needle with the line of light such that the biopsy needle is illuminated along its length by the light projector.

20. A method for optically guiding a biopsy needle comprising the steps of:

incorporating a light projector for producing a line of light on a patient'"'"'s skin into an ultrasound imaging device, such that said line of light coincides with an imaging plane of said ultrasound device;

ultrasound imaging said patient for a desired biopsy target; and

selecting a point from one of a plurality of potential entry points along the line of light for inserting said biopsy needle in a path toward said target.

21. A method for optically guiding a biopsy needle in accordance with claim 20 wherein said step of selecting a point further comprises the step of:

aligning the biopsy needle with the line of light such that the biopsy needle is illuminated along its length by the light projector.