Abstract: An apparatus for holding and driving a rotary cutting surgical instrument with a needle guiding stage of a stereotactic mammography biopsy system is disclosed. The system includes a rotary cutting surgical instrument having a housing with a mechanism for securing the housing to a needle guiding stage of the stereotactic mammography biopsy system. The apparatus further includes a position encoder and controller for determining the resistance experienced by the rotary cutting instrument and for controlling the rotation of the instrument in response to the resistance.

Abstract: A compression apparatus for use with conventional mammography apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a frame which may be attached to a conventional mammography device's compression paddle carriage. The apparatus further comprises a compression surface having a chest wall end and a nipple end, pivotally attached to the frame at a pivot point located between the chest wall end and the nipple end. To provide adequate compressive forces at the chest wall end of the compression surface while allowing rotation about the pivot point, a spring is attached between the frame and the compression surface at the nipple end of the compression surface.