Patent · US Expired

Precision mammographic needle biopsy system

US5078142A · kind A · utility

355Cited by
10References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 21, 1989
Grant dateJan 7, 1992
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 21, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N13/254
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A precision mammographic needle biopsy system in which a patient having a suspected non-palpable lesion of the breast lies on a table having a breast aperture therein through which the patient's breast pendulantly protrudes includes a compression paddle for selectively compressing the breast against an X-ray film holder to firmly hold the breast in a suitable projection; a radially pivoting X-ray arm arranged to direct an X-ray beam in horizontal alignment with the patient's breast onto an X-ray film; a radially pivoting X-ray film holder arm supporting both the X-ray film holder and a puncture instrument holding a biopsy needle having adjustable azimuth angle, elevation angle, and insertion depth parameters; and a computer-digitizer console including a cursor and having a light box digitizer view area for viewing and digitizing a point of interest depicted in two stereoscopic X-ray images of the patient's breast, a computer for analyzing the relative positions of the point of interest depicted on the two stereoscopic X-ray images with reference to a pair of reference marks projected onto each of the images and for determinig the location in 3-dimensional space of the point of inte…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.