13-12 Probes and Biopsy 
 
10.  Adjust the needle mark before the biopsy procedure is 
performed. 
 
11.  When performing biopsy procedures, use only sterile 
ultrasound gel that is certified to be safe. And manage 
the ultrasound gel properly to ensure that it does not 
become a source of infection. 
 
12.  When performing the operation concerning biopsy, 
wear sterile gloves. 
 
13.  Image of the biopsy target and the actual position of the 
biopsy needle: 
Diagnostic ultrasound systems produce tomographic 
plane images with information of a certain thickness in 
the thickness direction of the probe. (That is to say, the 
information shown in the images consist all the 
information scanned in the thickness direction of the 
probe.) So, even though the biopsy needle appears to 
have penetrated the target object in the image, it may 
not actually have done so. When the target for biopsy is 
small, dispersion of the ultrasound beam may lead to 
image deviate from the actual position. Pay attention to 
this. 
If the target object and the biopsy needle appear in the 
image as shown in the figures below (For reference 
only): 
 
The biopsy needle appears to reach the target object in 
the image 
Target
Biopsy