Patent ID: 6863654

Claim:
A method of identifying a patient's urethral anatomic course in real time for the precise placement of a treatment element into the patient's prostate, said method comprising: a) introducing a catheter containing an external imaging bladder into a urethra of the patient until said image bladder is generally aligned with a treatment site of the prostate; b) operatively positioning an imaging probe of an imaging device relative to the treatment site of the prostate and proximate portions of said urethra; c) activating said imaging device so as to obtain a real time image of the treatment site of the prostate; d) filling said imaging bladder on demand until said imaging bladder defines an acoustic interface between the interior of said imaging bladder and the urethral wall; and e) identifying and viewing a boundary of said urethra at said acoustic interface during placement of said treatment element so as to identify proper positioning thereof relative to the urethra.