Ultrasonic Actuation of a Fine-Needle Improves Biopsy Yield

TL;DR

This study introduces nonlinear ultrasonics (NLU) applied to fine-needles, significantly enhancing biopsy tissue yield and potentially expanding to other medical procedures like drug delivery and minimally invasive surgery.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates that nonlinear ultrasonics can be localized at the needle tip, greatly increasing tissue yield in biopsies and suggesting broader medical applications.

Findings

Biopsy tissue yield increased by 3-6 times with SonoLancet.

NLU effects extend several millimeters from the needle tip.

Localized nonlinear phenomena include cavitation, fluid streams, and atomization.

Abstract

Despite the ubiquitous use over the past 150 years, the functions of the current medical needle are facilitated only by mechanical shear and cutting by the needle tip,i.e.the lancet. In this study, we demonstrate how nonlinear ultrasonics (NLU) extends the functionality of the medical needle far beyond its present capability. The NLU actions were found to be localized to the proximity of the needle tip, the SonoLancet, but the effects extend several millimeters from the physical needle boundary. The observed nonlinear phenomena, transient cavitation, fluid streams, translation of micro- and nanoparticles and atomization, were quantitatively characterized. In the fine-needle biopsy application, the SonoLancet contributed to obtaining tissue cores with increase in tissue yield by 3-6x in different tissue types compared to conventional needle biopsy technique using the same 21G needle. In conclusion, the SonoLancet could be of interest to several other medical applications, including drug or gene delivery, cell modulation, and minimally invasive surgical procedures.