Apparatus for performing a biopsy on a patient's breast and computer-implemented method for defining a route for a biopsy needle through a patient's breast

1. An apparatus for carrying out a biopsy examination on a breast of a patient, comprising:

an analysis head including a radiation detection device configured to detect X-rays on a detection plane and acquire images of the breast, and a source of X-rays to emit a corresponding beam of X-rays towards the detector, the source and the detection device being mobile with respect to each other so that they can be placed in a plurality of different working acquisition positions;

a breast support surface;

a support base and a biopsy probe attached to the support base and which includes a selected biopsy needle for extraction of a tissue sample from the breast and a housing for the selected biopsy needle, the housing being rotatably mounted on the support base to allow modification of an angle of the selected biopsy needle with respect to the breast support surface;

a control unit comprising a computer operatively connected to the detector for receiving the images of the breast and configured to produce a reconstructed image of a cross-section of the breast representative of anatomical portions of the breast at a predetermined depth along a direction at right angles to the detection plane of the detection device based on the images of the breast acquired by the detection device in different working positions;

a user interface operatively connected to the control unit, configured to:

allow display of the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast;

allow selection of a target position for extraction of the tissue sample;

allow display of a proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample;

the control unit being configured to calculate, based on the selection of the target position for extraction of the tissue sample, the proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample and wherein the user interface is configured to allow the display of the proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast, as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample, directly on the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast;

wherein the control unit comprises a list of biopsy needles and at least one chosen from dimensional characteristics, geometrical characteristics and shapes of the biopsy needles, the control unit being configured to calculate a range of angles for all the biopsy needles that can be used to reach the target position and extract the tissue sample without collisions;

wherein the user interface is configured to display a biopsy needle image and a graphic indicator representative of the range of angles, for all the biopsy needles that can be used to reach the target position;

wherein the user interface is configured to allow selection of the selected biopsy needle from the list of biopsy needles.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow the selection of the target position directly on the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow the selection of an obligatory crossing position of the selected biopsy needle in the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast and wherein the control unit is configured to calculate, based on the selection of the target position for extraction of the tissue sample and on the obligatory crossing position of the selected biopsy needle, an angle of the selected biopsy needle and the movement route to reach the target position passing through the obligatory position.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow the selection of a predetermined angle of the selected biopsy needle and the control unit is configured to calculate a route of the selected biopsy needle towards the target position wherein the selected angle of the selected biopsy needle is maintained.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample corresponds to a shortest route from an exterior of the breast to the target position.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow display of the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast selected from a plurality of reconstructed images of cross-sections of the breast representative of anatomical portions of the breast at different depths along the direction at right angles to the detection plane of the detection device.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support base is mobile along a first direction, a second direction and a third direction arranged at angles to each other.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the support base comprises at least two portions hinged to each other, one of these portions being connected directly or indirectly to the housing so that the housing can be rotated with respect to the other portion.

9. A computer-implemented method for defining a route of a biopsy needle through a breast of a patient, comprising:

providing an apparatus comprising:

an analysis head including a radiation detection device configured to detect X-rays on a detection plane and acquire images of the breast, and a source of X-rays to emit a corresponding beam of X-rays towards the detector, the source and the detection device being mobile with respect to each other so that they can be placed in a plurality of different working acquisition positions;

a breast support surface;

a support base and a biopsy probe attached to the support base and which includes a selected biopsy needle for extraction of a tissue sample from the breast and a housing for the selected biopsy needle, the housing being rotatably mounted on the support base to allow modification of an angle of the selected biopsy needle with respect to the breast support surface;

a control unit comprising a computer operatively connected to the detector for receiving the images of the breast and configured to produce a reconstructed image of a cross-section of the breast representative of anatomical portions of the breast at a predetermined depth along a direction at right angles to the detection plane of the detection device based on the images of the breast acquired by the detection device in different working positions;

a user interface operatively connected to the control unit, configured to:

allow display of the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast;

allow selection of a target position for extraction of the tissue sample;

allow display of a proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample;

the control unit being configured to calculate, based on the selection of the target position for extraction of the tissue sample, the proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample and wherein the user interface is configured to allow the display of the proposed movement route of the selected biopsy needle through the breast, as far as the target position for extraction of the tissue sample, directly on the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast;

wherein the control unit comprises a list of biopsy needles and at least one chosen from dimensional characteristics, geometrical characteristics and shapes of the biopsy needles, the control unit being configured to calculate a range of angles for all the biopsy needles that can be used to reach the target position and extract the tissue sample without collisions;

wherein the user interface is configured to display a biopsy needle image and a graphic indicator representative of the range of angles, for all the biopsy needles that can be used to reach the target position;

wherein the user interface is configured to allow selection of the selected biopsy needle from the list of biopsy needles;

displaying, on the user interface, the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast representative of anatomical portions of the breast at a predetermined depth along the direction at right angles to the detection plane of the detection device;

selecting, via the user interface, the target position to be reached;

calculating, with the control unit, the proposed movement route for the biopsy needle to reach the target position;

displaying the proposed movement route of the biopsy needle on the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface is configured to allow the display of a graphical image of the selected biopsy needle overlaid on the reconstructed image of the cross-section of the breast.