Radiolucent Specimen Positioning Device for Stable Tissue Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
During tissue specimen analysis, maintaining the specimen in a stable orientation is crucial for accurate detection of tissue margins and diagnosis, as deformation or movement can lead to inaccurate diagnoses due to the challenges in reconciling image locations with the actual specimen positions.
Innovation Solution
A device comprising first and second positioning members with elastically deformable portions, constructed from radiolucent materials like polymeric foam, that retain the specimen in a fixed orientation, allowing for multi-axis imaging and transport without significant deformation or position change, thereby reducing signal attenuation and enhancing image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the tissue specimen is manually positioned and transported between imaging and pathology analysis, then the specimen can be examined by different specialists, but the specimen may deform or change position leading to inaccurate correlation between images and actual tissue locations
Solution Approach 1:
The specimen is positioned on a positioning device with markers and imaged before transport to pathology analysis. This preliminary imaging establishes a reference coordinate system that allows accurate correlation of subsequent images with the actual specimen location, preventing the mismatch problem that occurs when specimens are manually handled and repositioned.
Solution Approach 2:
A positioning device with radiopaque markers serves as an intermediary between the specimen and the imaging system. The markers provide a stable reference frame that mediates the correlation between multiple images taken at different times and locations, enabling accurate tissue margin detection even when the specimen is transported between different specialists.
2Measurement precision
If multiple orthogonal images are taken to verify tissue margins, then diagnostic accuracy improves, but the time required for imaging and analysis increases
Solution Approach 1:
The positioning device with radiopaque markers serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides a reference coordinate system for image correlation, enables accurate localization of tissue margins, and facilitates transport of the specimen between imaging and pathology analysis. This multi-functionality allows single-image margin verification to achieve the diagnostic accuracy previously requiring multiple orthogonal images.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the specimen is compressed or folded during transport to fit in containers, then the specimen can be transported between facilities, but the specimen shape changes making margin analysis difficult or impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The specimen is imaged on the positioning device before transport, establishing a reference coordinate system that records the specimen's shape and position. Even if the specimen is compressed or folded during subsequent transport, the preliminary image with its coordinate markers allows accurate reconstruction and analysis of the original specimen geometry and tissue margins.
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
The solution ensures accurate and efficient imaging and transport of tissue specimens, maintaining specimen integrity and improving diagnostic accuracy by minimizing deformation and positional changes, leading to higher quality images and more precise tissue margin analysis.
Implementation Method 1
first and second positioning members, each including a portion that is at least partially elastically deformable (e.g., made of a radiolucent material
Data Source
AI summary
A specimen holding and positioning apparatus operable to substantially non-movably maintain a specimen (e.g., an excised tissue specimen) in a fixed or stable orientation with respect to the apparatus during imaging operations (e.g., x-ray imaging), transport (e.g., from a surgery room to a pathologist's laboratory), and the like for use in facilitating accurate detection and diagnosis of cancers and/or other abnormalities of the specimen.