I-Corps: Translation potential of a guidance system for needles used in computed tomography (CT)-guided medical procedures

This broader impact of this I-Corps project is the development of a device to guide needle insertion in medical procedures. Current methods for cancer diagnosis require either an open surgical biopsy or a minimally invasive needle biopsy. Needle biopsies are typically safer for patients, but can be technically challenging to perform, as the needle has to be passed deep into the body and directed into the tumor.

Needles are also used in the medical treatment for spinal pain, which is often a spinal injection. Both needle biopsies and spinal injections require precise needle placement. The goal of this technology is to make needle placements faster, less risky, and easier.

This solution may improve the outcomes for patients requiring a biopsy, tumor ablation, drainage, or injection.

This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of assist with needle navigation during minimally invasive computed tomography (CT)-guided procedures. Such procedures are technically difficult in certain clinical situations. In current CT-guided needle placement procedures, accurate needle insertion is operator-dependent and based solely on the physician’s visuo-spatial estimation of the angle and depth from an intra-procedure CT scan.

These challenges often result in multiple needle insertions/reinsertions as the physician attempts to direct a needle along an intended trajectory while avoiding damage to any sensitive structures nearby. The novel device utilizes an electronic gyroscope to determine the angular position of the needle relative to the CT imaging axes, and thus, enables a physician performing a CT guided procedure, such as a biopsy, tumor ablation, drainage, or injection, to precisely orient a needle along an intended trajectory.

This technology is designed to provide real-time angle measurement while the operator positions the needle for entry into tissue. The device may save up to 70% of the needle insertion time during these procedures, an average of 10 minutes of time savings per case. The solution also promises to reduce complications and reduce mental strain on the operator. The device may result in faster, more accurate, and safer CT-guided procedures.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.