Needle breast biopsy system and method of use

A method of performing a breast biopsy using an upright x-ray mammography imaging system including a gantry, an x-ray tube rotatably supported on the gantry and configured to rotate relative to the gantry over an angular range, a compression platform coupled to the gantry, an x-ray receptor disposed within the compression platform and positioned in a plane normal to the x-ray tube when the x-ray tube is at a zero position on the gantry, and a compression paddle releasably couplable onto the gantry and spaced apart from each of the x-ray tube and the compression platform, the method comprising:

• compressing a breast of a patient between the compression paddle and the compression platform;
• coupling a biopsy guidance assembly to the gantry between the x-ray tube and the compression platform, wherein the biopsy guidance assembly includes a first handle and a second handle, wherein at least one of the first handle and the second handle includes a coupling mechanism for releasably coupling the biopsy guidance assembly to the gantry, a support structure extending between the first handle and the second handle, a fixed support arm coupled to the support structure, an angular support arm coupled to the fixed support arm, wherein the angular support arm extends at an angle offset from the plane of the x-ray receptor, and a holster mount moveably coupled to the angular support arm;
• visualizing a lesion in the breast via emission of an x-ray from the x-ray tube and receiving the emitted x-ray at the x-ray receptor for the generation of x-ray image data, wherein the holster mount is positioned outside of an x-ray field of the x-ray tube so that image artifacts by the holster mount are not formed in the x-ray image data;
• targeting the visualized lesion including determining coordinates of the lesion within the compressed breast;
• advancing a needle of a biopsy device supported on the holster mount towards the targeted lesion at the angle of the angular support arm;
• and
• excising the lesion.