METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR POSITIONING A DEVICE IN A BODY

摘要

There is disclosed a method of positioning an interventional device in a bod y using a guide (17) pivoting about a pivot point, comprising locating the spatial coordinates of a target (12) and the pivot point, determining a thir d point (34) outside of the body lying along or proximate a line (30) extendin g through the target and pivot point, and aligning the axis of the guide with the third point (34) using an imaging system. There is also disclosed a medical imaging system including a processing unit and computer software operative on the processing unit to permit an operator of the system to loca te the spatial coordinates of a target point (12) and a pivot point of a guide (17), and determine a third point (34) outside of the body lying along or proximate a line (30) extending through the target and pivot point. This medical imaging system may further include computer software operative on th e processing unit to assist an operator in obtaining an image by which the axi s of the guide can be aligned with the third point (34) using an imaging syste m. There is also disclosed an article of manufacture comprising a computer program encoded in a carrier, wherein the program is operative on a processi ng unit of a medical imaging system to permit an operator of the system to loca te the spatial coordinates of a target point (12) and a pivot point of a guide (17), and determine a third point (34) outside of the body lying along or proximate a line (30) extending through the target (12) and pivot point.