Multi-Specimen Prostate Biopsy Device with Integrated Specimen Storage

• Jayvan Gonzalez
• Luke Hoppensteadt
• Marko Novakovic
• Jonathan Ramos
• Anya Robertson

Advisor: Jonathan Komperda

Sponsor: Michael Young, PhD

Nearly 1 million prostate biopsies are performed in the United States annually. The current prostate biopsy procedure requires an operator to guide the device to the prostate using an ultrasound probe, penetrate the prostate, cut the sample, and remove the device entirely. An assistant then removes the sample from the device and places it in a storage container. To complete the procedure, this process must be repeated approximately 11 times. We present in this work a new design with the objective of reducing the amount of removals from twelve to one to limit the amount of discomfort felt by the patient as it is largely due to the sensation of stretching caused by reinserting the needle. In order to improve procedure efficiency, we present a design which implements a translating storage tray able to contain all twelve of the samples. To move the samples from the needle to the tray, an innovative mechanism is implemented to guide each sample into the storage tray as the needle is manually retracted. The retraction of the needle is done by disengaging the springs controlling the firing mechanism to allow a low force retraction. As the needle retracts, the storage mechanism moves to the next prelabeled storage slot. When the procedure is complete, the tray is removed, and a lid is placed to seal the samples with a preserving fluid to enable secure transport. The prototype presented intends to be a proof of concept of the mechanical systems, not a functional device that conforms to medical standards.

See supporting documentation in the team’s Box drive.