Patent · US Expired

Mammographic biopsy apparatus

US6022325A · kind A · utility

250Cited by
40References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 4, 1998
Grant dateFeb 8, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 4, 2018

Classification

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

Abstract

A motorized biopsy needle positioner employed in a mammographic needle biopsy system receives coordinate information representative of an identified point of interest within a patient's captive breast under examination and automatically positions a biopsy needle in accordance with that coordinate information to permit insertion of the biopsy needle to the identified point of interest. An offset mode of operation of the motorized biopsy needle positioner automatically positions the biopsy needle in accordance with coordinate information representative of an offset point within the patient's breast that is offset from the previously identified point of interest to permit insertion of the biopsy needle to that offset point. A manual mode of operation of the motorized biopsy needle positioner permits the user to actuate directional keys of a user control unit to position the biopsy needle in one or more directions, as specified by the actuated directional keys.

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