THREE DIMENSIONAL IMAGING FOR GUIDING INTERVENTIONAL MEDICAL DEVICES IN A BODY VOLUME

摘要

The present invention relates to an intervention guidance system in which the location of an interventional medical device (30) within a body volume is determined by image processing means (14) from live, three-dimensional ultrsound images thereof, and this localisation is used to generate a control signal for steering an ultrasound beam (20) so as to alter the imaging plane (or region of interest 235) in accordance with the relative location within the body volume of the intervention device (30). The use of image processing techniques to localise the intervention device (30) obviates the need for specific locations on the device.