Patent ID: 8105238

Claim:
A method for determining the position of a target location associated with a portion of a surgical tool in an animal body according to a pre-plan specifying a desired position of the surgical tool, the method comprising: obtaining a plurality of two-dimensional images in real time of a target volume using an ultrasound imaging means, each two-dimensional image being represented by a respective image data slice, wherein the plurality of two-dimensional data slices are spaced apart from each other in one longitudinal direction; transforming said plurality of two-dimensional data slices into a three-dimensional image of the target volume represented by a volumetric image data array; displaying the three-dimensional image of the target volume using a display means; receiving a selection, via the display means, of at least one imaginary target location defining a desired image view of at least a portion of the surgical tool within said three-dimensional image; determining, based on said imaginary target location, a control signal for displacing said imaging means to obtain a two-dimensional image of the imaginary target location; displacing said imaging means relative to said target volume, based on said control signal, for obtaining a real time two-dimensional image of the imaginary target location; and determining the actual position of the surgical tool in the real time two-dimensional image which includes the imaginary target location.