Patent ID: 8425425

Claim:
A method for guiding a probe tip to a subdermal site comprising: guiding a flexible probe through a probe guide of an ultrasound device, the probe guide defining a probe path for the probe to follow to reach the subdermal site, the probe terminating in the probe tip, the probe guide including a first end and a second end, the first end being closer to a skin contacting surface of the ultrasound device than the second end, the ultrasound device comprising an ultrasound transducer in communication with a processor, the ultrasound device further comprising a detector for determining the location of a target that is associated with the probe and is at a distance from the probe tip, the detector being in communication with the processor, the probe path including a predetermined alignment between the target and the detector as the probe is guided through the probe guide; flexing a portion of the probe out of the predetermined alignment as the probe is guided through the probe guide, the flexed portion of the probe being external to the probe guide and not subdermal; configuring the processor to determine the location of a virtual probe tip from the location of the target as determined by the detector and communicated to the processor, wherein the processor executes instructions to determine the location of the virtual probe tip, the instructions comprising a set of correlation factors that are utilized to correct the location of the virtual probe tip to account for the flexing of the portion of the probe out of the predetermined alignment; forming a sonogram of the subdermal site on a monitor from information communicated to the processor from the ultrasound transducer; and forming an image on the sonogram of the location of the virtual probe tip as determined and correlated by the processor from information communicated to the processor from the detector.