GB2533921A

GB2533921A - Apparatus for performing a breast biopsy

Info

Publication number: GB2533921A
Application number: GB1423342.3A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ledan Mathieu; Bayle Thierry; Galloni Bruno; Moulin Romain; Vancamberg Laurence
Original assignee: General Electric Co
Current assignee: General Electric Co
Priority date: 2014-12-30
Filing date: 2014-12-30
Publication date: 2016-07-13
Also published as: GB201423342D0

Abstract

An apparatus 1 for performing a breast biopsy comprises (i) a breast support plate 2 and (ii) a biopsy device 4 (e.g. a gun) mounted upon (iii) a positioning assembly/positioner 6 for positioning the device with respect to the support plate. The positioner comprises a mounting member 16 carrying the biopsy device, which is movable with respect to the support plate with three degrees of freedom along three perpendicular directions (x, y, z), and an arm 18 supporting, at one end thereof, the biopsy device and pivotally connected, at the other end, to the mounting member, so as to be pivotable about a first axis W. The arm also moves forward and backward along a second axis S so as to allow the biopsy device to be positioned with respect to the mounting member with two rotational degrees of freedom and the biopsy device to be positioned relative to the breast support plate with five degrees of freedom.

Description

Apparatus for performing a breast biopsy

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to the field of medical biopsy. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an apparatus for performing a biopsy, preferably a breast biopsy, to be used to diagnostic a potential cancer.

Background

[0002] Nowadays, breast carcinoma represents prolific cause of neoplastic mortality worldwide. Diagnostic procedures have been established to perform a screening of women wherein patients are invited to undergo a mammography procedure and then, if a tumor or suspicious mass is detected during the mammography, patients are invited to undergo a diagnostic examination, in particular a breast biopsy. The breast biopsy procedure consists in part of extracting tissue sample or samples from the breast in the area of the potential tumor (called the target or area of interest), and this procedure is performed with a biopsy device or gun. The biopsy device has a needle having a sample chamber which collects the patient's tissue. The issue is excised using a rotating knife or cutting cannula and drawn through the needle to the sample chamber via a vacuum pump.

[0003] Known mammographs comprise a rotating gantry which houses an x-ray generator, a supporting plate placed under the x-ray generator to support the patient's breast, a compression paddle arranged to press the breast on the supporting plate before the examination, and an x-ray detector placed under the supporting plate and arranged to acquire the x-ray beam coming from the x-ray generator. The x-ray beams pass through the breast before reaching the x-ray detector. The x-ray generator and detector are connected, in a manner per se known, to a control unit placed in the mammograph itself and arranged to acquire a set of x-ray images of the breast of a patient and to calculate the position of the potential tumor within the breast. The mammograph further comprises an apparatus (called biopsy positioner) for performing the breast biopsy of the potential tumor.

[0004] In order to perform the tissue sampling in the exact position of the target, so as not to cause too much pain to the patient by repeating the examination if the first sampling examination fails, the biopsy device must be placed by the breast positioner in the correct position and orientation with respect to the target. Then, the biopsy device is activated and tissue sampling is performed. Prior art biopsy positioners carry the biopsy device in a vertical position and move the biopsy device above the patient's breast (which rests on a horizontal breast supporting plate of the positioner) at a predetermined position with respect to the supporting plate, with three degrees of freedom, defined in a Cartesian reference system x, y, z. [0005] An external arm can be connected to the positioner so that the device, which is supported in this case by the arm itself, can be placed horizontally with respect to the breast (on the right or on the left of the breast itself) in order to perform the tissue sampling [0006] A problem with known apparatuses for performing breast biopsies is that the physician, who has firstly determined the position of the target in the patient's breast from the set of images acquired and elaborated by the mammograph, has to place the biopsy device in the right position by choosing only between a vertical or horizontal orientation, resulting in imprecise tissue sampling when the lesion is not easily accessible from these two directions. Accordingly, there is the need to improve the apparatus for performing the breast biopsy so that the physician can perform a more precise examination on the patient's breast and can better reach the target in the breast.

Summary of the invention

[0007] The present invention is directed to an apparatus for performing a breast biopsy which solves the problems and disadvantages with the background art This can be achieved by the features as defined by the independent claim. Further enhancement are characterized in the dependent claims.

[0008] In one aspect, the present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for performing a breast biopsy comprising a breast support plate, a biopsy device or gun and a positioning assembly configured to position the biopsy device with respect to the breast support plate. Said positioning assembly comprising a mounting member which carries the biopsy device and is movable along three perpendicular directions so at to position the device with respect to the breast support plate with three degrees of freedom. The apparatus is characterized in that the positioning assembly further comprises an arm supporting, at one end thereof, the biopsy device. The arm is pivotally connected, at the other end, to the mounting member, so as to be pivotable about a first axis, and is further arranged to extend forward and backward along a second axis so as to allow the biopsy device to be positioned with respect to the mounting member with two rotational degrees of freedom. The biopsy device is therefore positionable relative to the breast support plate with five available degrees of freedom.

[0009] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the positioning assembly comprises two linear guides parallel to each other along a longitudinal direction of a Cartesian coordinate or reference system and fixed to the breast support plate, a cross member extending transversally with respect to said guides and being slidably guided along the linear guides, and a column supported by the cross member and being slidably guided by said cross member. The column has two vertical guides along which the mounting member slides in a vertical direction so that the mounting member is movable with respect to the breast support plate with three translational degrees of freedom.

[0010] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the arm has a telescopic configuration so as to extend forward and backward along the second axis.

[0011] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the arm is an arc-shaped arm having a curvilinear axis extending along an arc of circumference [0012] In another aspect of the present disclosure, the biopsy device comprises a needle and a sample chamber where the breast tissue is collected, said sample chamber being positionable in an isocenter of the apparatus, said isocenter being located at the intersection of the first axis and a radius of the circumference along which the arm extends.

[0013] In another embodiment of the present invention, the disclosure relates to a method for performing a biopsy using an apparatus for performing a breast biopsy comprising a breast support plate, a biopsy device and a positioning assembly for positioning the biopsy device with respect to the breast support plate, wherein said positioning assembly comprises a mounting member carrying the biopsy device and an arm supporting, at one end thereof, the biopsy device, and being pivotally connected, at the other end, to the mounting member. The method comprises moving the mounting member along three perpendicular directions so at to position the device with respect to the breast support plate with three degrees of freedom, pivoting the arm about a first axis, and extending said arm forward and backward along a second axis so as to position the biopsy device with respect to the mounting member with two rotational degrees of freedom, so as to position the biopsy device relative to the breast support plate with five available degrees of freedom.

[0014] In another aspect of the present invention, the method step of moving the mounting member along three perpendicular directions comprises slidably moving a cross member, extending transversally with respect to two linear guides of the positioning assembly parallel to each other along an horizontal longitudinal direction of a Cartesian reference system and fixed to the breast support plate, along such guides. The method further comprises slidably moving a column, supported by the cross member along said cross member, and slidably moving the mounting member in a vertical direction along two vertical guides of the column, so that the mounting member is movable with respect to the breast support plate with three translational degrees of freedom.

[0015] At least one of the above embodiments provides one or more solutions to the problems and disadvantages of the background art. One advantage that may be realized in the practice of some embodiments of the described apparatus for performing a breast biopsy is that a more precise displacement of the biopsy device to the target can be obtained, by choosing between a vertical and a lateral approach, and a large biopsy volume can be covered, thanks to the five degrees of freedom. Other technical advantages of the present disclosure will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the following description and claims. Various embodiments of the present application obtain only a subset of the advantages set forth. No one advantage is critical to the embodiments. Any claimed embodiment may be technically combined with any other claimed embodiment(s).

Brief description of the Drawings

[0016] The accompanying drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the disclosure and serve to explain, by way of example, the principles of the disclosure.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an apparatus for performing a breast biopsy apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, in a first position; [0018] FIG. 2 is a perspective view the apparatus for performing a breast biopsy of fig. 1 in a second position; [0019] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing in an enlarged scale the arm of the apparatus for performing a breast biopsy in a third position; [0020] FIG. 4 is a flow chart of a method for performing a breast biopsy; and [0021] FIG. 5 is a flow chart of the first method step of FIG. 4.

Detailed description

[0022] With reference first to FIG. 1, an apparatus for performing a breast biopsy according to an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure is generally indicated 1. The apparatus 1_ comprises a breast support plate 2, a biopsy device, such as a win 4, and a positioning assembly (positioner) 6 for positioning the biopsy device 4 with respect to the breast support plate 2 with five degrees of freedom.

[0023] The breast support plate 2 is arranged to receive a breast of a patient resting on it. The biopsy device 4 comprises, in a manner per se known, a needle 4a and a sample chamber 4b where the patient tissue is collected.

[0024] The apparatus 1 further comprises, in a manner per se known, a compression paddle (not shown in the figures) arranged to press the breast on the breast support plate 2 before the examination. The compression paddle helps the physician perform the biopsy because compression of the breast prevents the target from moving within the breast during the tissue sampling procedure and prevents blood from exiting from the breast after the examination.

[0025] The positioning assembly 6 comprises two linear guides 8 parallel or approximately parallel to each other, fixed to the breast support plate 2 and extending along a longitudinal direction x of a Cartesian coordinate or reference system x, y, z. The positioning assembly 6 further comprises a cross member 10 extending transversally along a transvers direction y of the reference system x, y, z, the cross member 10 being slidably guided along the linear guides 8 to slide along x. The positioning assembly 6 further comprises a column 12 supported by the cross member 10 and slidably guided by said cross member 10 in the transvers direction y to slide along y. The column 12 has two vertical guides 14 along which a mounting member 16 slides in a vertical direction z. The mounting member 16 is therefore movable with respect to the breast support plate 2 with three translational degrees of freedom.

[0026] The positioning assembly 6 further comprises an arm 18 which supports, at one end thereof, the biopsy gun 4 and which is pivotally connected, at the other end, to the mounting member 16 by a pivot 20, so as to be pivotable about a first axis W. The arm 18 is preferably an arc-shaped arm. The arm 18 extends along a second axis S, which in a particular embodiment is a curvilinear axis extending along an arc of a circumference. The first axis W and the second axis S of the arm 18 are coplanar. The arm 18 has a telescopic configuration with a first element 22 slidably guided on a second element 24 along the second axis, as better shown in figure 3.

[0027] The arm 18 is therefore pivotally connected to the mounting member 16 and arranged to extend forward and backward along the second axis S so as to allow the biopsy device 4 to be positioned with respect to the mounting member 16 with two rotational degrees of freedom, so that the biopsy device 4 is positionable relative to the breast support plate 2 with at least five available degrees of freedom.

[0028] The combination of the translational motion of the mounting member 16 and the rotational motion of the arm 18 defines a spherical link which allows the biopsy device 4 to rotate around a virtual point of the apparatus 1 or isocenter 26. The isocenter 26 is located at the intersection of the first axis W and a radius R of the circumference along which the arm 18 extends. The peculiarity of the isocenter 26 is that this point does not change its position In order to perform the tissue sampling in the exact position of the target, the sample chamber 4b of the biopsy device 4 is preferably centered on the isocenter 26.

[0029] FIG. 2 shows the same apparatus 1 of figure 1 in a second position, wherein the arm 18 is rotated about the pivot 20 with respect to the position shown in figure 1, and the first element 22 of the arm 18 is extended forward with respect to the second element 24 [0030] FIG 3 shows the arm 18 in an enlarged scale in a further position, wherein the curvilinear axis of the arm 18 extends on a horizontal plane because the arm 18 is completely rotated right about the pivot 20. As noted above, the first element 22 of the arm 18 is slidably guided on the second element 24 and can be fixed in the desired position by a locking device, for example a screw 28 [0031] FIG. 4 shows a flow chart according to a method 100 for performing a breast biopsy by an apparatus 1 for performing a breast biopsy comprising a breast support plate 2, a biopsy device 4 and a positioning assembly 6 for positioning the biopsy device 4 with respect to the breast support plate 2. The positioning assembly comprises a mounting member 16 carrying the biopsy device 4 and an arm 18 supporting, at one end thereof, the biopsy device 4, and being pivotally connected, at the other end, to the mounting member 16, wherein the method comprises the following steps. According to a first step 101, the mounting member 16 is moved along three perpendicular directions so at to position the device 4 with respect to the breast support plate 2 with three degrees of freedom. In step 102, the arm 18 is pivoted about a first axis W and in method step 103, the arm 18 is extended forward and backward along a second axis S so as to position the biopsy device 4 with respect to the mounting member 16 with two rotational degrees of freedom, so as to position the biopsy device 4 relative to the breast support plate 2 with at least five available degrees of freedom.

[0032] Fig. 5 shows a flow chart of the steps of the first method step 101. Said step comprises a method step 104, wherein a cross member 10 extending transversally with respect to two linear guides 8 of the positioning assembly 6 parallel to each other along an horizontal longitudinal direction of a Cartesian reference system and fixed to the breast support plate 2, slidably moves along such guides 8. In a further step 105, a column 12, supported by the cross member 10, slidably moves along said cross member 10. In a further step 106 the mounting member 16 slidably moves in a vertical direction along two vertical guides 14 of the column 12, so that the mounting member 16 is movable with respect to the breast support plate 2 with three translational degrees of freedom.

[0033] This description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art

LIST OF ELEMENTS

1 apparatus for performing a breast biopsy 2 support plate 4 biopsy device 4a needle 4b sample chamber 6 assembly for positioning 8 linear guides cross member 12 column 14 vertical guides 16 mounting member 18 arm pivot 22 first element 24 second element 26 isocenter first axis curvilinear axis radius x, y, z Cartesian reference system longitudinal direction transverse directions vertical direction method for performing a biopsy 101 first method step 102 second method step 103 third method step 104 fourth method step fifth method step 106 sixth method step