Toward guided breast biopsy using Diffractive Energy Imaging

摘要

Advanced Diagnostics, Inc. (ADI) has developed a technique using Diffractive Energy Imaging (DEI) to provide an accurate, non-ionizing method for continuously tracking biopsy needles. The method utilizes ultrasound to generate large field-of-view, high resolution, multi-planar images. Accurate, real-time biopsy guidance using DEI is possible by identifying the physical relationship between a lesion and a focal plane or image slice. The lesion is located by progressively focusing through the breast volume until the lesion is visualized with enough clarity to distinguish it from surrounding tissue. The selected focal plane identifies the lesion location along a medial-lateral axis through the breast. This plane is identified for the physician using a laser pointer to "paint" a line on the skin surface. Cartesian coordinates applied to the image slice define a location for surgical incision and needle entry along this focal plane. Maintaining the needle within the defined focal plane and tracking the needle in real-time on a high-resolution monitor ensures a direct line approach through the tissue to the targeted lesion. Data indicate that physicians experienced in biopsy but without prior DEI operational experience are successful in acquiring simulated targets embedded in biopsy phantoms.