Radioactive Fiducial Marker for Gamma Camera Lesion Localization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current imaging modalities for breast cancer, such as mammography, ultrasound, and MRI, face challenges in accurately identifying and localizing cancerous lesions, especially in dense breast tissue or when multiple lesions are present, leading to inaccuracies in biopsy guidance.
Innovation Solution
A novel fiducial marker for a gamma-guided stereotactic localization system that uses a radioactive source to provide accurate positioning and guidance for biopsy equipment, enabling precise imaging and targeting of cancerous lesions through gamma camera detection of metabolic activity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional imaging modalities (mammography, ultrasound, MRI) are used for lesion localization, then the imaging process is straightforward and equipment is readily available, but the accuracy of identifying and localizing cancerous lesions deteriorates, especially in dense breast tissue or when multiple lesions are present
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a fiducial marker as an intermediary object that is implanted near the lesion and emits gamma rays. This marker serves as a mediator between the imaging system and the lesion, providing a known reference point that significantly improves localization accuracy. The gamma camera detects the fiducial marker's position with high precision, and this information is used to calculate the lesion's location relative to the marker, thereby resolving the contradiction between measurement precision and device complexity.
2Reliability
If mammography is used for imaging, then the procedure is simple and widely available, but the ability to identify cancerous lesions deteriorates when patients have dense breast tissue, multiple suspicious lesions, or other complicating factors
Solution Approach 1:
The fiducial marker acts as a reliable intermediary that emits detectable gamma rays, providing a consistent reference point that enhances the reliability of lesion identification. By detecting the marker's position and using it to calculate lesion location, the system overcomes the limitations of mammography in dense tissue and complex cases, thereby improving reliability while maintaining procedural simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the imaging parameter from detecting tissue density (mammography) or structural information (MRI, ultrasound) to detecting gamma ray emissions from the fiducial marker. This parameter change enables reliable lesion identification in cases where traditional modalities fail, such as dense breast tissue or multiple lesions, without significantly complicating the imaging procedure.
3Measurement precision
If biopsy guidance is performed without a fiducial marker, then the procedure is simpler, but the accuracy of positioning biopsy equipment at the target lesion deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The fiducial marker serves as a mediator in the biopsy guidance process, providing a known reference point that is detected by the gamma camera. The system uses the marker's position to calculate the precise location of the lesion and guide the biopsy needle. This intermediary approach significantly improves positioning accuracy while adding minimal complexity to the overall procedure, as the marker is implanted during the same surgical procedure.
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
Enhances the accuracy of lesion localization and biopsy guidance by correlating the fiducial marker's location with the gamma camera images, allowing for precise placement of biopsy needles and improving sensitivity and specificity in identifying cancerous lesions compared to traditional imaging methods.
Implementation Method 1
The fiducial can be made radioactive such that it can be seen by the gamma camera
Implementation Method 2
A gamma guided stereotactic localization system with improved positioning system includes a gamma-emitting fiducial source that can be imaged by the stereo imaging system
Data Source
AI summary
A fiducial marker for use in a gamma-guided stereotactic localization system for imaging a suspected cancer and guiding a physician in the removal of tissue samples for biopsy. The fiducial marker includes a fiducial source that can be accurately located in a positioning system and used to correlate the location of the positioning system with the detector and therefore the region-of-interest. The fiducial can be made radioactive such that it can be seen by the gamma camera. The fiducial marker enables the accurate positioning of other hardware in proximity to the object to be viewed.