More than 20 women are diagnosed with breast cancer every day in Sweden, making it the most common form of cancer among women. To confirm a breast cancer diagnosis, a breast biopsy is required where a tissue sample is taken from the breast. There are different methods for performing a breast biopsy and Vacuum Assisted Biopsy, also known as VAB, is a technique that is becoming increasingly more common in healthcare. However as the procedure stands today VAB needle biopsies do not come without risks. Currently there is an unnecessary risk of contamination that can lead to complications for the patients in the form of infections which may range from mild to life threatening. The existing biopsy equipment is difficult to handle and unintuitive, further decreasing patient safety and increasing session times. These types of risks should not exist in healthcare.

This project has been carried out in collaboration with Turon Medtech AB, the creator of the positioning tool Cytoguide. The project group was commissioned by Turon to develop a product that reduces the risk of contamination during VAB needle biopsies. The product should not only reduce the risk of contamination but also be efficient and user friendly.

To improve patient safety and streamline the breast biopsy process, the project group has developed UniVAB, a product designed to enable safer breast biopsies. The solution is not only for the benefit of the patient but also for the healthcare staff who use the product as it simplifies and streamlines the assembly process. The project group hopes that UniVAB will become a new industry standard and help create a risk free breast biopsy for women worldwide.