TISSUE LOCATING GUIDE WITH RADIOPAQUE REFERENCE MARKERS

摘要

A locating guide (150) for locating a target tissue site within a patient includes a body (122), a first substantially radiopaque reference marker (124A-B, 126A-B, 128,130) on the body, and a second substantially radiopaque reference marker (154, 156) extending from a major surface of the body. The reference markers provide reference points that extend in at least two dimensions, and may be useful for registering a medical image of tissue with an actual location on or within the patient in order to more accurately and precisely locate a target tissue site within the patient. In some embodiments, the second reference marker is oriented at a predetermined angle relative to the major surface of the body, and provides a guide that a clinician may reference in order to orient a medical- element introducer (152) when introducing the introducer into the patient to access a particular target tissue site.