Transperineal Needle Guide Advances Targeted Biopsies

A new sterile transperineal needle guide allows urologists to perform real-time micro-ultrasound targeted biopsies of the prostate gland.

The Exact Imaging (Toronto, Canada) Transperineal Needle Guide is designed to leverage the near microscopic resolution of the ExactVu micro-ultrasound system in order to visualize areas of interest in the prostate, and specifically to help target transperineal-based biopsies when using the Exact Imaging EV29L transducer. The 29 MHz micro-ultrasound system increases resolution by 300%, allowing for improved visualization of prostatic and peripheral zone margins, textural changes in tissue, and prior biopsy needle tracks up to 50mm deep in the prostate.


Conventional ultrasound systems operate at 6-9 MHz, and are currently the standard of care to guide prostate biopsies. The higher resolution of the micro-ultrasound platform, when paired with the new prostate risk identification using micro-ultrasound (PRI-MUS) protocol, can allow real-time visualization of suspicious lesions and targeting of biopsies. The improved performance of the PRI-MUS protocol in more significant disease is consistent with the focus of the field on decreasing insignificant diagnoses and detecting high-risk disease early.

“There is increasing movement towards transperineal-based prostate biopsies as an option to reduce the risk of infection,” said Randy AuCoin, President and CEO of Exact Imaging. “With FDA clearance for our new sterile Transperineal Needle Guide, the ExactVu micro-ultrasound system can now be used in all clinical settings for targeted prostate biopsies, including FusionVu and cognitive fusion biopsies.”

“As transperineal biopsy strategies evolve, potentially for enhanced tissue procurement, and therefore, enhanced histopathologic evaluation as well as the likelihood for decreased infectious complication risk, performing targeted transperineal biopsies using the ExactVu 29 MHz micro-ultrasound system optimizes the performance of prostate biopsy,” said Neal Shore, MD, medical director of the Carolina Urologic Research Center (Myrtle Beach, SC, USA). “The ExactVu technology broadens my prostate biopsy options and can be performed in the clinic or in an outpatient surgery center.”

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