Needle guide for stereotactic biopsy

1. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the biopsy needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body having a periphery that defines an edge of the needle guide, the periphery defining a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces;

a cradling aperture positioned in the body and sized to engage the needle guide support bracket;

a tapered channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from one of the side surfaces of the body toward the cradling aperture; and

a biopsy needle aperture wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle aperture and the cradling aperture define a vertical axis through the needle aperture and the cradling aperture, and the channel extends inwardly from one of the side surfaces towards the vertical axis.

2. The biopsy needle guide of claim 1 , wherein the body includes at least one positioning tab to inhibit rotation of the biopsy needle guide relative to the needle guide support bracket.

3. The biopsy needle guide of claim 2 , wherein the body includes a pair of positioning tabs.

4. The biopsy needle guide of claim 1 , wherein the body includes first and second legs.

5. The biopsy needle guide of claim 4 , wherein a distal end of the first leg is defined in part by an upper surface of the channel.

6. The biopsy needle guide of claim 4 , wherein a distal end of the second leg is defined by a lower surface of the channel.

7. The biopsy needle guide of claim 4 , wherein one of the first and second legs is substantially J-shaped.

8. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the biopsy needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body that includes a cradling aperture sized to engage the needle guide support bracket and a channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from a periphery of the body toward the cradling aperture; and

wherein the body further includes first and second legs defined in part by the cradling aperture, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, the cradling aperture has a width, the channel has a deflected condition defining a deflected width and an undeflected condition defining an undeflected width, and when the channel is in the undeflected condition, the undeflected channel width is less than the cradling aperture width, the biopsy needle guide further comprising a biopsy needle aperture wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle aperture and the cradling aperture define a vertical axis through the needle aperture and the cradling aperture, and the channel extends inwardly from a periphery of the body towards the vertical axis.

9. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein a distal end of the first leg is defined in part by an upper surface of the channel.

10. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein a distal end of the second leg is defined by a lower surface of the channel.

11. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein the second leg is substantially J-shaped.

12. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein the body includes at least one positioning tab to inhibit rotation of the biopsy needle guide relative to the needle guide support bracket.

13. The biopsy needle guide of claim 12 , wherein the body includes a pair of positioning tabs.

14. The biopsy needle guide of claim 1 , wherein said needle aperture is configured to allow rotation of said biopsy needle.

15. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein said needle aperture is configured to allow rotation of said biopsy needle.

16. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the biopsy needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body having a periphery that defines an edge of the needle guide, the periphery defining a top surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of side surfaces;

a cradling aperture positioned in the body and sized to engage the needle support bracket;

a channel in communication with the cradling aperture, wherein the channel extends inwardly from one of the side surfaces of the body toward the cradling aperture, the channel and the cradling aperture define first and second legs, and at least one of the first and second legs is resilient; and

a biopsy needle aperture wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle aperture and the cradling aperture define a vertical axis through the needle aperture and the cradling aperture, and the channel extends inwardly from one of the side surfaces towards the vertical axis.

17. The biopsy needle guide of claim 16 , wherein the channel is tapered.

18. The biopsy needle guide of claim 16 , wherein the channel and the aperture define an open area through the body.

19. The biopsy needle guide of claim 16 , further comprising a generally t-shaped aperture in communication with the cradling aperture.

20. The biopsy needle guide of claim 16 , wherein at least one of the first and second legs is resiliently displaceable in a direction away from the other of the first and second legs.

21. The biopsy needle guide of claim 1 , wherein the channel and the cradling aperture define first and second legs, and at least one of the first and second legs is resilient.

22. The biopsy needle guide of claim 1 , wherein at the channel and the cradling aperture define first and second legs, and at least one of the first and second legs is resiliently displaceable in a direction away from the other of the first and second legs.

23. The biopsy needle guide of claim 1 , wherein the tapered channel and the cradling aperture define a open area through the body.

24. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second legs is resilient.

25. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein the channel is tapered.

26. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein the channel and the cradling aperture define an open area through the body.

27. The biopsy needle guide of claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second legs is resiliently displaceable in a direction away from the other of the first and second legs.

28. A biopsy system, comprising:

the biopsy needle guide of claim 1 ; and

a biopsy needle disposed through the needle aperture.

29. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the biopsy needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body having a periphery that defines an edge of the needle guide, the periphery defining a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces;

a cradling aperture positioned in the body and sized to engage the needle guide support bracket;

a tapered channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from one of the side surfaces of the body toward the cradling aperture; and

a biopsy needle aperture wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle aperture defines an inner surface of the body, and the inner surface surrounds the needle aperture.

30. The biopsy needle guide of claim 29 , wherein the needle aperture is a hole.

31. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body having a periphery that defines an edge of the needle guide, the periphery defining a top surface, a bottom surface and a pair of side surfaces;

a cradling aperture positioned in the body and sized to engage the needle guide support bracket;

a tapered channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from one of the side surfaces of the body toward the cradling aperture, and

a needle hole wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle hole defines an inner surface of the body that does not intersect the top surface, bottom surface, or either side surface of the body, the body has a face, and a portion of the face surrounding the hole is countersunk.

32. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the biopsy needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body that includes a cradling aperture sized to engage the needle guide support bracket and a channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from a periphery of the body toward the cradling aperture; and

wherein the body further includes first and second legs defined in part by the cradling aperture, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, the cradling aperture has a width, the channel has a deflected condition defining a deflected width and an undeflected condition defining an undeflected width, and when the channel is in the undeflected condition, the undeflected channel width is less than the cradling aperture width, the biopsy needle guide further comprising a biopsy needle aperture wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle aperture defines an inner surface of the body that surrounds the needle aperture.

33. The biopsy needle guide of claim 32 , wherein the needle aperture is a hole.

34. In a biopsy system having a biopsy needle guide secured to a needle guide support bracket, the biopsy needle guide system comprising:

a needle guide support bracket;

a body that includes a cradling aperture sized to engage the needle guide support bracket and a channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from a periphery of the body toward the cradling aperture; and

wherein the body further includes first and second legs defined in part by the cradling aperture, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, the cradling aperture has a width, the channel has a deflected condition defining a deflected width and an undeflected condition defining an undeflected width, when the channel is in the undeflected condition, the undeflected channel width is less than the cradling aperture width, and the periphery of the body defines a top surface, a bottom surface, and a pair of side surfaces, the biopsy needle guide further comprising a needle hole wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough, and wherein the needle aperture defines an inner surface of the body that does not intersect the top surface, bottom surface, or either side surface of the body, the body has a face, and a portion of the face surrounding the hole is countersunk.

35. A biopsy system, comprising:

(a) a needle guide support bracket;

(b) a biopsy needle guide comprising a body that includes a cradling aperture sized to engage a needle guide support bracket, a channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from a periphery of the body toward the cradling aperture, and first and second legs defined in part by the cradling aperture, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, wherein the cradling aperture has a width, the channel has a deflected condition defining a deflected width and an undeflected condition defining an undeflected width, and when the channel is in the undeflected condition, the undeflected channel width is less than the cradling aperture width, the biopsy needle guide further comprising a biopsy needle aperture wherein a biopsy needle may extend therethrough; and

(c) a biopsy needle disposed through the needle aperture.

36. A method of performing a biopsy, comprising:

attaching the biopsy needle guide of claim 1 to the needle guide support bracket such that a portion of the needle guide support bracket is disposed in the cradling aperture; and

deploying a biopsy needle through the needle aperture and into a patient's tissue.

37. A method of performing a biopsy, comprising:

providing a biopsy needle guide, the biopsy needle guide comprising a body that includes a cradling aperture sized to engage a needle guide support bracket, a channel in communication with the cradling aperture, the channel extending inwardly from a periphery of the body toward the cradling aperture, and first and second legs defined in part by the cradling aperture, the first leg being shorter than the second leg, and wherein the cradling aperture has a width, the channel has a deflected condition defining a deflected width and an undeflected condition defining an undeflected width, and when the channel is in the undeflected condition, the undeflected width is less than the cradling aperture width;

attaching the biopsy needle guide to a needle guide support bracket such that a portion of the needle guide support bracket is disposed in the cradling aperture, wherein the biopsy needle guide further comprises a needle aperture; and

deploying a biopsy needle through the needle aperture and into a patient's tissue.