Visualized Prostate Biopsy

Webpage created December 04, 2020

(vPBx)

vPBx simulation screen
Concept Model of the vPBx User Interface

Transrectal ultrasound guided systematic prostate biopsy and fused MRI/TRUS targeted biopsy both rely on 2D TRUS imaging. We propose a novel, visualized prostate biopsy system with a true, real-time, 3D-visualization of a tracked moving prostate including locations in the prostate that need to be biopsied, a tracked TRUS probe, and a tracked biopsy gun. A 3D-visualization is easier to use and more accurate because it removes the mental load of performing mental rotations and inferring 3D geometry and relationships from 2D cross sections (what an ultrasound image is.)

The visualized prostate biopsy (vPBx)1 offers pre-procedural planning whereby a biopsy template can be customized in the procedure room to the patient’s prostate shape and size, and real-time 3D feedback about where biopsy cores have already been placed so that inadvertent misses relative to aimed locations are immediately apparent and can be corrected during the procedure to reduce false negatives. While the vPBx does not require a prior MRI scan of the prostate, if a scan is available it can be imported into vPBx and registered to the prostate segmented in the urology clinic.

Our open-architecture System of Modular Mixed and Augmented Reality Tracking Simulators (SMMARTS) rapid simulator development platform and its software development kit (SDK)2 was used to create the proof of concept vPBx on a simulator. The University of Florida had filed a patent application3 for the vPBx technology which is available for licensing.

References

  1. Lampotang S, Stringer T, Lizdas DE: Visualized Prostate Biopsy: An Intuitive 3D User Interface for Systematic and Targeted Biopsy. Journal of Endourology 2021
  2. Lampotang S, Bigos AK, Avari K, Johnson WT, Mei V, Lizdas DE. SMMARTS: An Open Architecture Development Platform for Modular, Mixed, and Augmented Reality Procedural and Interventional Simulators [published online ahead of print, 2020 Sep 10]. Simul Healthc. 2020;10.1097/SIH.0000000000000503.
  3. Lampotang S, Lizdas DE inventors; University of Florida Research Foundation, applicant. Guidance And Tracking System For Templated And Targeted Biopsy And Treatment. International patent application WO2020186198. September 17, 2020.

Demonstration of proof of concept vPBx on a prostate biopsy simulator