relay device which is operatively connected to both the biopsy device power and control unit 72 and a punction arm power and control unit 104 of course many different system variants may be used and it is expected that more alternatives will become available over time given the rapidly evolving technology in the control and computer fields for example it may in some instances be preferable to employ a controller 102 which is internal to the computer system and perhaps integrated with the processor 100 movement of the needle 16 into position with respect to the target lesion 90 by moving the linear motor 82 of the punction arm 80 is initiated by a user in known fashion as described in the aforementioned assa patent by for example employing a film digitizer and coordinates calculator not shown to digitize the target lesion 90 within the patient 39 s breast and to then compute the spatial coordinates of the lesion the computed spatial coordinates then appear on the display monitor 94 and the user employs the mouse 98 to automatically set the biopsy needle positioning mechanism 80 so that the biopsy needle 16 positioned thereon is precisely positioned for insertion to the lesion 90 by depressing appropriate keys on the hand controller or mouse 98 these instructions are relayed to the.