Cavitation activity induced by spring-loaded core needle biopsy devices.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Acoustics
• Medical Device Technology

Background:

• Core needle biopsy is essential for pathological assessment, often using spring-loaded devices.
• The dynamics of these devices can induce cavitation, a phenomenon with known mechanical effects.
• Cavitation during biopsy procedures has been largely understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and quantify cavitation phenomena associated with core needle biopsy devices.
• To investigate the influence of needle design and tissue properties on cavitation.
• To explore potential applications and safety implications of biopsy-induced cavitation.

Main Methods:

• Visual and acoustic monitoring techniques were employed.
• Experiments were conducted using deionized water and agarose-based tissue-mimicking phantoms.
• Needle oscillation (longitudinal/flexural) and varying agarose concentrations were tested.

Main Results:

• Cavitation was most prominent with side-cut needles in water but present with front-cut needles too.
• Cavitation intensity decreased with increasing agarose concentration, being eliminated at 1.0% w/v.
• Acoustic emissions were detected across audible and ultrasound frequencies for both needle types.

Conclusions:

• Cavitation occurs during the operation of spring-loaded core needle biopsy devices in fluid and tissue-mimicking materials.
• Cavitation presents opportunities for novel in vivo ultrasound imaging applications.
• Understanding cavitation is crucial for safety assessments of biopsy devices.