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Rapid needle alignment for localizing breast tumors

Design Award

  • Design Excellence Award Honorable Mention

Project Overview

Once a breast biopsy determines that a breast abnormality is malignant (only 25-30% are cancer), the radiologist must localize the cancer for the surgeon so that the tissues around the area can be removed (lumpectomy). This is frequently done using a mammographic method whereby a needle is directed into the breast, using a light to determine whether the needle is actually perpendicular to the skin. However, this requires constant correction, withdrawal and re-correction.

The goal is to make a tubular device that mounts on the plastic frame of the mammographic device and therefore must direct the needle perpendicular to the gridded frame of the normal mammographic localization framework. The device would have to be able to be directed anywhere within a 10 x 14 cm opening and be certain to be perpendicular to the frame. The physician would still be the one directing the localization needle.

Team Picture

Team members from left to right: Kari Borowski, Gopika SenthilKumar, Alex Henry, Colin Schrof, Kevin Fantl
Team members from left to right: Kari Borowski, Gopika SenthilKumar, Alex Henry, Colin Schrof, Kevin Fantl

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Contact Information

Team Members

  • Gopika SenthilKumar - Team Leader
  • Kevin Fantl - Communicator
  • Kari Borowski - BSAC
  • Colin Schrof - BWIG
  • Alexander Henry - BPAG

Advisor and Client

  • Prof. Beth Meyerand - Advisor
  • Dr. Frederick Kelcz - Client

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