Abstract: A positioner for centering or otherwise situating medical devices such as biopsy needles with respect to a human body includes a clamp for receiving a portion of the human body (e.g., a breast), a carriage which moves along a carriage path next to the clamp, and a positioning arm pivotally mounted to the carriage and having a mount for a medical device thereon. The carriage may therefore carry the positioning arm along the carriage path to a desired location adjacent to the clamp, at which point the positioning arm may be pivoted to situate a medical device within the device mount at a desired location adjacent the portion of the body within the clamp. The components of the positioner are preferably made of materials that do not interfere with medical imaging instrumentation (e.g., MRI scanners), though the positioner may include markers at desired locations (e.g.

Abstract: A system and apparatus is disclosed for providing percutaneous images to assist in performing an accurate tissue biopsy and to locate nuclear medicine tracer uptake within a living being. The invention provides superimposed, simultaneous ultrasound and nuclear activity images to assist in performing accurate tissue biopsy for any procedure in which nuclear activity is used to localize possible pathological tissue. The apparatus includes a medical instrument having at least a pair of radionuclide detectors capable of detecting the depth of tracer uptake within a region of interest, which can include locating the sentinel lymph node in a breast cancer patient. The radionuclide detector is coupled to, and in operable association with, an ultrasound probe for percutaneous detection of anatomical structure about the area of maximum tracer uptake. The radionuclide detectors and the ultrasound probe are pivotally connected.

Abstract: A positioner for centering or otherwise situating medical devices such as biopsy needles with respect to a human body includes a clamp for receiving a portion of the human body (e.g., a breast), a carriage which moves along a carriage path next to the clamp, and a positioning arm pivotally mounted to the carriage and having a mount for a medical device thereon. The carriage may therefore carry the positioning arm along the carriage path to a desired location adjacent to the clamp, at which point the positioning arm may be pivoted to situate a medical device within the device mount at a desired location adjacent the portion of the body within the clamp. The components of the positioner are preferably made of materials that do not interfere with medical imaging instrumentation (e.g., MRI scanners), though the positioner may include markers at desired locations (e.g.

Abstract: Differential X-ray images are produced in order to improve the visibility of a contrast medium, such as iodine or xenon, having a K absorption edge at a predetermined X-ray energy. Such differential images are produced by combining first, second and third X-ray images which are individually produced by using first, second and third X-ray spectra at first, second and third X-ray energy levels. The first energy level is below the K edge energy, while the second energy level is above the K edge energy. The third energy level is above the second energy level. The second X-ray image is combined subtractively with the average of the first and third X-ray images to produce a differential X-ray image in which any image elements due to soft tissue and bone are largely cancelled out, while image elements due to the contrast medium are enhanced. In one preferred method, two versions of the second image are combined additively, and the first and third images are combined subtractively therewith.