Ultrasonographic identification of a sentinel lymph node
OwnerRoberto Kusminskyinventor
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Abstract
A method of detecting at least one axillary sentinel lymph node using ultrasonography is described. The method comprises injecting an iron hydroxide compound into a patient at or near a suspected tumor site in the breast and waiting an amount of time required for the iron hydroxide compound to enter cells of the sentinel lymph node. The axillary area near the injection site may then be analyzed using ultrasonography to identify at least one sentinel lymph node. Once identified, a small sample of tissue from the identified sentinel lymph node may be taken for pathological analysis to aid in determination of the stage or extent of breast cancer.
Claims18
A method of detecting at least one sentinel lymph node, comprising:
- injecting an iron hydroxide-sucrose complex into a patient;
- waiting an amount of time;
- analyzing an area in which the at least one sentinel lymph node is suspected to exist using ultrasonography;
- and
- identifying the at least one sentinel lymph node by detecting the injected iron hydroxide-sucrose complex in the at least one sentinel lymph node by the ultrasonography.
A method of detecting at least one axillary sentinel lymph node in a breast cancer patient, comprising:
- injecting an iron hydroxide-sucrose complex into a patient;
- waiting the iron hydroxide-sucrose complex to enter cells of the at least one axillary sentinel lymph node;
- analyzing an area in which the at least one axillary sentinel lymph node is suspected to exist using ultrasonography;
- and
- identifying the at least one axillary sentinel lymph node by detecting the injected iron hydroxide-sucrose complex in the at least one axillary sentinel lymph node by the ultrasonography.
A sonographic scanner configured to be directed toward a patient in which an iron hydroxide-sucrose complex has been infused to locate a sentinel lymph node.
A system for detecting at least one sentinel lymph node, comprising:
- an iron hydroxide-sucrose complex configured to be injected into a patient and allowed to enter cells of at least one sentinel lymph node;
- and
- an ultrasonographic device configured to an area in which the at least one sentinel lymph node is suspected to exist to identify the at least one sentinel lymph node detecting the injected iron hydroxide-sucrose complex in the at least one sentinel lymph node.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.