Intra-procedural Feedback for Image-Guided Biopsy Accuracy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current image-guided biopsy procedures face challenges in accurately targeting tissues due to mental estimation errors in needle insertion depth, guide bending or shifting, and motion caused by patient or probe movement, leading to potential misses of the target.
Innovation Solution
A feedback system that uses image processing and analysis to detect the biopsy needle in real-time, providing visual or auditory feedback on the spatial relationship between the needle and the target before and after needle firing, allowing for adjustments to improve accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If real-time imaging and image fusion are used to guide biopsy needle insertion, then the visibility of target location is improved, but the accuracy of needle-to-target alignment deteriorates due to mental estimation errors in insertion depth
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time visual feedback by displaying the projected throw distance of the needle on the imaging screen. This allows the operator to see exactly where the needle tip will end up after firing, eliminating the need for mental estimation and enabling precise adjustment of insertion depth to ensure accurate target sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary visual indicator (the projected throw distance marker) that mediates between the needle position and the target location. This marker serves as a reference that translates the complex relationship between needle insertion depth and final tip position into a simple visual guide that the operator can directly use for accurate positioning.
2Device complexity
If the biopsy needle is spring-loaded with a fixed throw distance, then the mechanism simplicity is improved, but the sampling accuracy deteriorates because the operator must mentally estimate the insertion depth offset
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides real-time visual feedback by displaying the projected throw distance of the needle on the imaging screen. This allows the operator to see exactly where the needle tip will end up after firing, eliminating the need for mental estimation and enabling precise adjustment of insertion depth to ensure accurate target sampling.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a visual copy or representation of the needle's final position (after throw) directly on the imaging screen. This virtual marker represents where the needle tip will be, allowing the operator to plan and adjust the insertion without physically moving the needle, thereby maintaining mechanism simplicity while improving precision.
3Loss of information
If image fusion is used to map pre-procedural targets to live imaging, then the target identification capability is improved, but the reliability of accurate sampling deteriorates due to guide bending or shifting during the procedure
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation and display of the projected needle tip position before the actual needle firing. By showing where the needle will end up based on the current insertion depth and known throw distance, the operator can adjust the insertion depth in advance to account for any guide bending or shifting, ensuring the final tip position aligns with the target.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides real-time visual feedback by displaying the projected throw distance of the needle on the imaging screen. This allows the operator to see exactly where the needle tip will end up after firing, eliminating the need for mental estimation and enabling precise adjustment of insertion depth to ensure accurate target sampling.
4Ease of operation
If the operator relies on displayed guide lines for needle aiming, then the ease of operation is improved, but the sampling accuracy deteriorates when the biopsy guide bends or shifts causing needle deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary calculation and display of the projected needle tip position before the actual needle firing. By showing where the needle will end up based on the current insertion depth and known throw distance, the operator can adjust the insertion depth in advance to account for any guide bending or shifting, ensuring the final tip position aligns with the target.
Data Source
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AI summary
A feedback system for instrument guidance includes a feedback guidance module (122) configured to detect an instrument in a real-time image and generate feedback under a detected event for aligning or guiding the instrument. An image generation module (148) is configured to generate a projected guideline in the image. The feedback guidance module is configured to generate at least one of audio and visual feedback to provide guidance to a user in positioning the instrument in the area of interest relative to the projected guideline in realtime.