3D Biopsy Guidance With EM Tracking for Prostate Targeting
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current prostate biopsy techniques suffer from high false negative rates, leading to delayed treatment and potential metastasis of prostate cancer, and advanced techniques like fused PBx require additional MRI scans and multiple clinic visits, which are costly and not covered by all insurance plans, exacerbating health disparities.
Innovation Solution
A three-dimensional tracking and guidance system using a 6-DOF electromagnetic tracking sensor and real-time 3D reconstruction, allowing for templated or targeted biopsy and treatment without additional imaging modalities, with integrated cognitive aids for intuitive user interfaces.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional TRUS guided biopsy is used, then the procedure is simple and widely available, but the false negative rate is high (up to 47%)
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical TRUS guidance with an electromagnetic tracking system that uses 6-DOF sensors to precisely track the biopsy needle's position and orientation in three-dimensional space, eliminating reliance on operator skill and template accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electromagnetic field as an intermediary between the biopsy needle and the tracking system, allowing non-contact, real-time measurement of needle position and orientation through electromagnetic sensors that detect the needle's location without physical contact
2Reliability
If fused MRI/ultrasound biopsy is used, then biopsy accuracy is improved, but additional imaging and multiple clinic visits are required, increasing cost and complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential function of precise localization from complex fused imaging systems and implements it through a standalone electromagnetic tracking system that provides accurate three-dimensional needle positioning without requiring MRI or ultrasound fusion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual three-dimensional model of the patient's anatomy and biopsy trajectory that mirrors the physical procedure in real-time, allowing precise guidance through electromagnetic tracking data without requiring additional imaging modalities
3Reliability
If fused MRI/ultrasound biopsy is used, then biopsy accuracy is improved, but treatment delay is increased due to additional imaging and visits
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic tracking sensors are attached to the biopsy needle and system before the procedure begins, enabling real-time tracking and guidance throughout the single-visit procedure, eliminating the need for preliminary MRI scans and multiple appointments required by fused imaging approaches
4Ease of operation
If traditional biopsy template is used, then the procedure is simple to perform, but template deviation is large even for experienced urologists
Solution Approach 1:
The electromagnetic tracking system provides real-time feedback on the biopsy needle's actual position and orientation compared to the planned trajectory, allowing the operator to make immediate corrections and ensuring precise sample collection even with simple procedural steps
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise and efficient biopsy and treatment procedures with reduced false negatives, eliminating the need for additional imaging and multiple visits, thereby reducing treatment delays and healthcare disparities.
Implementation Method 1
A non-fused tracking and guidance system includes a body organ tracking sensor, such as a prostate tracking sensor; a tracked medical imaging probe, such as an ultrasound probe, a tracked biopsy or treatment device for tracking the biopsy or treatment device in relation to the prostate and imaging probe
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for a guidance and tracking system that facilitate templated and targeted biopsy and/or treatment. A guidance and tracking system may include a catheter having a six-degree-of-freedom magnetic tracking sensor, where the catheter can be positioned and anchored in an organ or a natural passage of an organ such as the urethral passage in the prostate of a patient. Using tracking sensors, a computing device may be employed to track a location and orientation of an organ and medical instruments during a treatment or diagnostic procedure. The computing device may determine a position and orientation of the medical instrument relative to the organ of interest. A graphical user interface including real, three-dimensional objects to overlay and adjust biopsy templates onto a real three-dimensional organ or lesion that is manually reconstructed prior to the biopsy procedure. A simulator or simulator mode can be provided for training.