Patent ID: 8761862

Claim:
A medical probe device comprising: a monitor; a housing comprising an ultrasound transducer for forming a sonogram of a subdermal location on the monitor, the housing including a skin contacting surface; a probe guide that is attachable to the housing; a detector for detecting motion of a probe within the probe guide, the detector including a magnetic motion detection mechanism to generate signals regarding the movement of a probe as it passes through the probe guide, the signals from the detector creating a data stream; a processor in communication with the detector, the monitor, and the ultrasound transducer, the processer configured for creating and displaying a real time image of a virtual probe, the processor being programmed to analyze the data stream from the detector to calculate a relative position of the probe in relation to a reference point, the processor being capable of communicating the relative position to the monitor, said relative position being displayed on the monitor as the real time image of the virtual probe; and the processor being further configured for displaying on the monitor the real time image of the virtual probe in conjunction with the sonogram of the subdermal location.