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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 interest specified by the azimuth angle, elevation angle, and insertion depth parameters of the biopsy needle, and a visual display for displaying these parameters to the operator.

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First Claim