Device for pinpointing suspect lesions of the breast and apparat

Details Device for pinpointing suspect lesions of the breast and apparat Device for pinpointing suspect lesions of the breast and apparat

1997-12-22

1999-11-23

Buiz, Michael

Surgery

Instruments

Means for marking animals

A61B 1700

Patent

active

059892650

DESCRIPTION:

BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device which can be used in surgery, and more particularly to a device for pinpointing small suspect lesions of the breast, such as micro-calcifications, with a view to their optimized ablation by surgical means, as well as to an apparatus for positioning it.
(ii) Description of Related Art
Screening for breast cancers is normally done by mammography, since this technique permits detection of lesions of small dimensions, such as micro-calcifications. It is then necessary to remove tissues from the mammary gland in order to analyze them and verify their possible cancerous nature. This removal is generally done by surgical means, or by biopsy, or else by needle puncture.
The practitioner (surgeon) normally pinpoints the suspect lesions on mammography images by taking the nipple of the breast as a reference point, and uses the frontal and profile measurements in order to determine approximately the position of the lesion from which a sample is to be taken.
One of the main difficulties encountered by practitioners is that of locating the lesion which has been detected by mammography. This is because the position of the breast is very different during mammography (frontal and profile), where the patient is in a seated position, the breast pressed between two plates, and during the operating phase where the patient is generally lying on her back on an operating table.
The result of this is that the mammography reference markers do not correspond precisely to the actual position of the lesion during the removal operation, regardless of whether this is done by surgery, by biopsy or by puncture. Now, the lesions consisting of micro-calcifications are often incipient and noninvasive cancers of small dimensions, the diameter of which is of the order of magnitude of millimeters and does not exceed 1 cm. These lesions do not present any particular consistency or coloration. Pinpointing them is therefore difficult, even after mammography from several angles, for example frontal and profile.
In practice, the surgeon is forced to make an estimate and remove a relatively large volume of breast tissue susceptible of containing the suspect lesion. The sample removed is then checked by X-ray to verify the presence of the micro-calcifications, and then analyzed on the spot by a specialist (anatomical pathologist).
Despite all the precautions taken during these operations, it is very often discovered, subsequently, that there are micro-calcifications still remaining in the breast. These micro-calcifications are detected during mammographs performed several weeks after the operation described hereinabove. It is then often necessary to perform another operation.
Because of these difficulties, and in order to avoid having to perform several operations in succession, the surgeon is compelled to remove much greater quantities of tissue than would be necessary if the lesions detected by mammography could thereafter be pinpointed with good reliability and satisfactory precision. Moreover, the surgeon cannot be certain that all the micro-calcifications have been removed other than by broadening the ablation of tissues excessively, which can additionally have a considerably adverse esthetic and psychological impact on the patient.
Various devices have been proposed in an attempt to overcome these difficulties. For example, patent FR-A-2,660,545 describes biopsy equipment in association with mammography from two angles with the aid of a rotating head taking the images, this equipment being intended to locate suspect lesions corresponding to incipient cancers. However, this equipment is complex and its use is not very convenient for the patient.
Patent FR-A-2,666,217 describes a device for stereotaxic pinpointing and puncturing of a lesion of small dimensions, detected by mammography, by means of a trocar or needle for aspiration biopsy. This device is designed to permit two X-ray images to be taken from two different angles, the patient's breast be

REFERENCES:
patent: 4592356 (1986-06-01), Gutierrez
patent: 4616656 (1986-10-01), Nicholson et al.
patent: 5059197 (1991-10-01), Urie et al.
patent: 5158084 (1992-10-01), Ghiatas
patent: 5205829 (1993-04-01), Lituchy
patent: 5221269 (1993-06-01), Miller et al.
patent: 5409004 (1995-04-01), Sloan
patent: 5685853 (1997-11-01), Bonnet

Affiliated with

Also associated with

Rating

Device for pinpointing suspect lesions of the breast and apparat does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Device for pinpointing suspect lesions of the breast and apparat, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Device for pinpointing suspect lesions of the breast and apparat will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-1216355