Tomosynthesis Artifact Removal for Biopsy Needle Alignment
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Solution Overview
Problem
In image-monitored biopsies, out-of-plane artifacts complicate the precise alignment and fixation of a biopsy needle during breast tissue sampling, making it difficult to accurately determine the puncture position and depth due to the challenges in maintaining breast tissue fixation and the small size of the tissue sample.
Innovation Solution
A device and method that create a first volume set without a biopsy needle and a second volume set with a biopsy needle, where marked regions in the second volume set are replaced with x-ray image data from the first volume set to minimize out-of-plane artifacts, allowing for clear representation of breast tissue and accurate alignment of the biopsy needle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a biopsy needle is inserted into the breast tissue to create a control volume set for alignment checking, then the position and alignment of the biopsy needle can be verified, but out-of-plane artifacts are generated that complicate the alignment assessment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the biopsy needle images from the control volume set by replacing marked regions containing the needle with corresponding regions from the overview volume set that does not contain the needle, thereby eliminating the out-of-plane artifacts while preserving the anatomical context for accurate alignment assessment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the overview volume set as an intermediary source to provide clean background image data that replaces the artifact-contaminated regions in the control volume set, allowing the alignment to be assessed without the interfering presence of the biopsy needle images
2Stability of the object's composition
If the breast tissue is compressed and fixed between the detector and compression plate during the examination, then the breast position can be maintained, but it is very difficult to maintain exact fixation throughout the entire examination duration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by creating the overview volume set before biopsy needle insertion to establish a reference state of the breast tissue, and by pre-marking the regions that will contain the needle, thereby preparing the data structure needed to later remove artifacts without requiring re-fixation or re-positioning during the examination
3Manufacturing precision
If the tissue change to be removed is only a few cubic millimeters in size, then the biopsy target is precisely localized, but it becomes extremely difficult to maintain exact fixation and determine puncture position and depth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the clean breast tissue anatomy from the overview volume set and superimposes it onto the control volume set, replacing the artifact regions with this clean copy, thereby providing a clear reference for determining the precise puncture position and depth without the confounding presence of needle artifacts
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
This approach effectively reduces out-of-plane artifacts, ensures the biopsy needle is accurately represented in cleaned x-ray images, and provides a clear representation of breast tissue, facilitating precise biopsy needle alignment and tissue sampling.
Implementation Method 1
X-ray radiation is then triggered in the X-ray source at definable intervals and the respective X-ray image is read out from the detector
Implementation Method 2
An overview volume set is then created with the aid of a reconstruction method. Based on the slice images of the overview volume set, areas for the removal of a tissue sample are localized
Data Source
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AI summary
The device has a marking unit for marking parts of a biopsy unit e.g. positioning unit (BE), biopsy needle and biopsy needle holder (NH), where the parts are formed in X-ray images for a volume set. An insertion unit inserts the X-ray images into the marked regions, which are displaced in the X-ray images for the volume set by X-ray image data of corresponding X-ray images for another volume set. A detection unit determines the corresponding X-ray images from an X-ray image sequence for the volume sets. A coordinate determining unit directs the needle for localized tissue change. An independent claim is also included for a method for operating a mammography device.