Cryobiopsy in the Upper Urinary Tract: Preclinical Evaluation of a Novel Device

Abstract Objective To develop a novel device for cryobiopsy of the upper urinary tract (UUT) and to evaluate its feasibility in a standardized preclinical setting. Materials and Methods Flexible cryoprobes (diameter 0.9 mm; cooling agent CO2) were developed and used to extract biopsies in porcine UUTs. Cryosamples obtained by ureterorenoscopy were systematically compared with biopsy specimens obtained with standard of care devices in terms of physical characteristics (deflection angle and irrigation flow rates) and histologic criteria (assessability). Results Irrigation flow rates were significantly higher with introduced BIGopsy (2.8 ± 0.1) compared with standard forceps (0.94 ± 0.06; P P P P P Conclusion Cryobiopsy in the UUT is feasible and represents a viable new option to improve the diagnostic accuracy of histopathologic evaluation. Larger and more representative tissue samples can be obtained using a cryoprobe and artifacts may be avoided. Further optimization of the probe will reduce possible restrictions of ureterorenoscopy handling when the device is inserted.