Biopsy Needle Deployment Detection via MR-TRUS Fusion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current biopsy procedures, particularly in prostate cancer diagnosis, face challenges in accurately visualizing and tracking the deployment of biopsy needles during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsies, as they may not reliably hit the target sites, and there is a need for precise location recording for repeat biopsies and focal therapy planning.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that integrates a guidance system with a deployment detector and a coordination module to detect and record the location and time of biopsy needle deployments, using a combination of imaging, acoustic, and spatial tracking data to map actual biopsy locations onto magnetic resonance (MR) images, enabling accurate correlation with pathological analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If TRUS-guided systematic biopsy is used to guide needle to different regions, then the biopsy procedure can be performed, but the needle tip location cannot be precisely tracked and recorded
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements real-time feedback by continuously tracking the biopsy needle position using ultrasound imaging and automatically recording the needle tip location coordinates. The coordination module receives real-time position data from the imaging system and provides feedback to the operator, enabling precise location tracking and automatic documentation of biopsy sites.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces manual tracking and recording methods with an automated computer-based system that uses image processing algorithms to detect needle position and automatically records location data. This substitution of mechanical/manual operations with automated computational systems enables precise and reliable location tracking.
2Productivity
If manual biopsy sampling is performed without automated tracking, then the biopsy can be completed, but the exact locations of biopsy samples cannot be accurately determined for repeat biopsies
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-planning biopsy target locations based on MRI/TRUS fusion imaging before the actual biopsy procedure. The coordination module pre-calculates optimal needle paths and target coordinates, allowing the procedure to proceed efficiently while ensuring accurate location tracking from the outset.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides self-service functionality by automatically tracking, recording, and documenting biopsy locations without requiring manual intervention for each measurement. The automated system continuously monitors needle position and logs all biopsy sites, eliminating the need for manual tracking while maintaining high precision.
3Reliability
If image fusion guidance is used to guide needles to target sites, then diagnostic accuracy can be improved, but the system cannot reliably record the actual needle deployment locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple imaging modalities (MRI and TRUS) into a unified fusion guidance system that simultaneously provides target visualization and location tracking. The coordination module integrates data from both imaging systems to generate a comprehensive view that displays both the planned targets and actual needle positions, ensuring that diagnostic accuracy and location recording work together seamlessly.
Solution Approach 2:
The coordination module acts as an intermediary that bridges the guidance system and the recording system. It receives imaging data from the fusion system, processes the needle position information, and transfers the location data to the recording system, ensuring accurate documentation of actual biopsy locations while maintaining the integrity of the diagnostic guidance process.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system and method for medical device detection includes a guidance system(38) configured to deliver a surgical device (32) into a subject. A surgical device deployment detector (25, 40, 42, 44) is configured to cooperate with the guidance system and is configured to detect a deployment of the surgical device in the subject. A coordination module(22)is configured to receive input from the guidance system and the deployment detector to determine and record one or more of a location and time of each deployment.