Patent ID: 6473635
Filing Date: 2002-10-29
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
A method of determining the position of a medical instrument introduced into the body of a patient relative to a periodically moving organ of the body, which method includes the steps of:a) determining the spatial position (c, r) of the medical instrument and of a reference probe including transmitting means which is arranged in a position outside the body of the patient while acquiring at the same time a periodic motion signal (E2) which relates to the periodic motion of the body organ, b) selecting a 3D image data set (p) from an image data base which contains 3D image data sets (p) of the body organ which have been acquired pre-operatively and simultaneously with the same motion signal (E1) and are associated with individual motion phases (e1, e2, . . . ), in such a manner that that 3D image data set (p) is selected which is associated with the motion phase (e1, e2, . . . ) during the determination of the spatial position (c, r) of the medical instrument and of the reference probe, and c) determining the position of the medical instrument relative to the body organ by converting the spatial position (C) of the medical instrument by means of the positions of the reference probe which are known in space and in the selected 3D image data set.