Patent ID: 6813512
Filing Date: 2004-11-02
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method for determining the position of a medical instrument introduced into an object to be examined and for imaging the vicinity of the medical instrument, comprising the steps ofdisplaying a survey image of the object to be examined, the survey image of the object being stored in a memory and including indications of markers on the patient; determining the position of the medical instrument within the object to be examined by a localization device that is arranged at an end zone of the medical instrument, the end zone comprising a portion of the medical instrument that is to be introduced into the object during use of the medical instrument, acquiring image information of the vicinity of the medical instrument, at the same time as said step of determining, using an image acquisition device arranged on the medical instrument, reproducing the position of the medical instrument in the survey image of the object to be examined on the basis of the position determined and the markers on the patient indicated in the survey image, and displaying images of the vicinity of the object to be examined which are associated each time with the relevant position on the basis of the image information acquired.