Patent ID: 8308741

Claim:
A needle insertion system, comprising: a moveable needle configured to be inserted into a living subject; a machine-vision system configured to locate on the living subject one or more punctured external locations in which the movable needle or another needle has been previously inserted and removed, and an insertion-target region different from the one or more punctured external locations; control electrical circuitry coupled to the machine-vision system to direct the machine-vision system to locate the insertion-target region, distinguish the insertion-target region from the one or more punctured external locations, and receive location information from the machine-vision system about the insertion-target region, the control electrical circuitry configured to output moveable needle targeting instructions; and an actuator coupled to the control electrical circuitry to receive the needle targeting instructions therefrom and coupled to the moveable needle, the actuator configured to move the moveable needle to the insertion-target region automatically in response to receiving the needle targeting instructions to thereby avoid the one or more punctured external locations.