Patent ID: 8187260

Claim:
A cryosurgical system for assisting an operator in placing and operating cryosurgical probes in the prostate of a human patient, wherein the cryosurgical probes are inserted through the skin of the perineal area of the patient and into the prostate, said system comprising: a computer system being programmed with software configured to perform the following steps: a. capturing a plurality of transverse views of the prostate; b. capturing a sagittal view of the prostate; c. outlining the capsule of the prostate, the urethra and the rectal wall of the patient with the assistance of the operator, utilizing said captured plurality of transverse views and said captured sagittal view; d. constructing a 3-dimensional model of the prostate, the urethra and the rectal wall utilizing the outlines of step c), above; and, e. utilizing said 3-dimensional model of the prostate, the urethra and the rectal wall to determine i) the number of cryosurgical probes to be utilized; ii) probe settings; and, iii) probe placement positions, wherein resultant ice produced by the cryosurgical probes is optimized for a specific patient.