Project Description:

Over 700,000 bone marrow biopsies are completed in the U.S. annually, yet there has been no innovation in the field. Bone marrow biopsies are taken from the posterior superior iliac spine (PSIS). The current method for locating the PSIS is manual palpation, essentially just using bare hands to locate and estimate the biopsy site, which can be difficult in higher BMI patients. When unable to locate the PSIS, the patient is sent to interventional radiology to have the procedure performed under medical image guidance, which is both very costly and time-consuming. Consequently, there is a need for a guided bone marrow biopsy device when manual palpation fails to provide the necessary precision.

Team Hips Don’t Lie has created a solution, BiopsyNav, that uses the simple electrical properties of tissue and bone to help locate the PSIS. The device detects the capacitance across the hip and outputs simple feedback in the form of a green or red light. This operates under the idea that bone has low capacitance and tissue has higher capacitance. Therefore, the PSIS resides where the least amount of adipose tissue is, between the bone and skin surface, and is thus a bony area with a low capacitance. The PSIS is indicated by a green light. BiopsyNav provides an intuitive and low-cost solution to find the biopsy site, all while increasing accuracy and precision. In addition to helping with edge cases, it can serve as a tool for infrequent or novice clinicians to develop confidence and comfort when performing the procedure. Lastly, with further refinement, this device can be used during lumbar puncture procedures and joint injections, which also rely on manual palpation to determine the optimal site.