Device to help patient control breathing during CT-guided biopsy
18 December 2006 Rochester, Minn., USA. Mayo Clinic has developed a new
medical device that will help patients control their breathing when
undergoing computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided biopsies. The
Interactive Breath-hold Control will be the first medical device of its kind
in the world.
The device will allow physicians to more rapidly and accurately diagnose
patients, reducing the need for a more invasive surgical biopsy. Clinical
trials of the Interactive Breath-hold Control were conducted at Mayo Clinic
in Rochester, Minn., and in Munich, Germany. Mayo Clinic and a hospital in
Munich are currently using the device. The device measures the breathing
of the patient using a simple light display. The wireless display device,
which is about the size of a handheld video game, consists of a simple belt
with expandable bellows that are wrapped around a patient's upper abdomen or
lower chest, individual light displays are located next to the patient, the
radiologist's image monitor, the CT operator console, and a system control
unit located next to the patient on the CT table. "By focusing on the
display, patients can easily adjust their breathing and consistently
reproduce the same reference breath-hold level," says Stephanie Carlson,
M.D., a Mayo Clinic radiologist and lead investigator of the project. "This
allows the radiologist to conduct a more accurate and safe procedure in less
time than if the target area of the lesion were moving." Prior to the
development of this device, CT-guided biopsies were more difficult for
radiologists and patients because respiratory (breathing) motion and
inconsistent breath holding by patients could obscure the exact target area
of a lesion and cause the target nodule to move out of the field of view
during the procedure, particularly if the lesions are small or in
difficult-to-reach locations. The Interactive Breath hold Control allows
radiologists to perform biopsies on smaller and more difficult to access
nodules during a 30- to 45- minute CT-guided procedure. The patient can
return home the same day with nothing more than a Band-aid. In the past,
difficult lung biopsies would require a surgical procedure resulting in a
two- to four-day stay in the hospital. "The system also helps distract
anxious patients during the procedure by giving them something to focus on
other than the needle," says Dr. Carlson. "By using this device, patients
become less focused on the procedure and the possible discomfort associated
with it." The Mayo team anticipates that there will be additional
applications for the Interactive Breath-hold Control in the future,
including solitary pulmonary nodule enhancement studies, other dynamic
perfusion studies, tumour ablation procedures, intratumoral injections,
PET/CT scanning, radiation therapy, and possibly even robotic interventional
procedures. "This entire effort represents a great collaboration between a
team of Mayo clinicians and engineers with the goal of improving patient
care," says Claire Bender, M.D., Mayo Clinic radiologist. "This device has
improved patient care and changed our practice." The Mayo Clinic team
traveled to Munich, Germany earlier this year to work with German physicians
on product testing and implementation. "The response from patients and
physicians in Germany was extremely positive," says James Potter, Director
of Mayo Clinic Medical Devices. "This entire project strongly reflects the
Mayo brothers' mission to inspire innovation and technology that truly
benefits patient care." Revenue that Mayo Clinic receives from this device
will be used to support Mayo's clinical practice, medical research and
education activities. Medical centres interested in acquiring the device may
contact Mayo Clinic Medical Devices at 866-677-8813 (toll free in USA) or
email
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