Abstract
Cancer is an ever-prevalent disease accounting for a large portion of medical services. With an aging world population, it is imperative to have non-invasive diagnostics which are efficient and not traumatic to the patient. Biopsy methods such as core needle biopsy (CNB) and fine needle aspiration (FNA), in combination with histopathology or cytology, are some of the most common practices used to garner an accurate diagnosis. The goal of this paper is to explore the feasibility of using 3D printing to fabricate biopsy needles with advanced designs that cannot be otherwise manufactured by traditional methods. In this study, we focus on changing the tip geometry and the addition of an internal feature to the biopsy needle to improve yield amounts. Four needle designs were tested, two with a bevel shaped tip, and two with a five-pronged tip, both with and without the internal feature. Both pronged-tip design and internal features are shown to have significant effect on tissue sampling efficiency. The 3D printed needles create higher insertion force than that of the stainless-steel needles. The quality of biopsied tissue which was confirmed by histopathological analysis. This study demonstrates the feasibility of using 3D printing to fabricate biopsy needles with enhanced tissue sampling efficiency.
