Apparatus for locating a breast mass

An apparatus for localizing and palpating a mass in body tissue, said apparatus comprising:

• a flexible catheter having an open proximal end and an open distal end, said catheter including an inner wall extending along the entire length of said catheter, and an outer wall spaced from said inner wall and extending along the entire length of said catheter, said inner wall and said outer wall being connected at said proximal end and said distal end of said catheter, a gap created between said inner wall and said outer wall extending substantially the entire length of said catheter, said outer wall including distinct proximal and distal portions, said distal portion being located at a distalmost end of said catheter and forming in inflatable balloon;
• a needle having proximal and distal ends, said distal end being sharp, said needle being insertable through said proximal end of said catheter so that said distal end of said needle extends beyond said distal end of said catheter, with means for preventing said distal end of said needle from extending more than slightly beyond said distal end of said catheter;
• a supply of air;
• and
• a port extension means connected at said outer wall of said catheter for communicating said supply of air to said inflatable balloon via said gap between said inner and outer walls of said catheter, said inflatable balloon being expanded upon receiving air from said supply of air to identify the location of an x-ray located mass by positioning said catheter with said needle located therein adjacent to the mass in the body tissue, said inflatable balloon being inflatable to have a diameter of about 2 to 5 cm at a mass located deeply in the body tissue to be palpable through the body tissue upon expansion so that a direct incision may be made from the skin to the inflatable balloon across the shortest distance possible for surgically locating the mass with a minimal length incision.