Patent ID: 7809176

Claim:
A device for automated planning of an access path for a percutaneous, minimally invasive intervention on an area of the body, comprising: a storage unit to store 3D image data of the body area; a segmentation module to automatically segment bones, vessels, and, if appropriate, other elements endangered by the intervention in the 3D image data; a planning module to, on the basis of at least one predefined path geometry, a target position and the segmented bones, vessels and other elements endangered by the intervention, automatically determine at least one access path to the target position, the planning module being configured such that the at least one access path maintains a clearance distance from the vessels which is dependent on a diameter of the vessels; a display module to display at least one of the 3D image data and image data derived from the 3D image data and to display the at least one access path determined by the planning module in at least one of the 3D image data and image data derived from the 3D image data; and an interaction module, including a user interface, usable for at least one of interactive selection and correction of the at least one access path determined by the planning module, and to mark a target position in a display of at least one of the 3D image data and the image data derived from the 3D image data; wherein the at least one access path to the target position does not run through bones and does not intersect any vessels and other elements endangered by the intervention, and if at least one access path to the target position that does not run through bones and does not intersect any vessels and other elements endangered by the intervention is not found, the at least one access path to the target position intersects only a set number of vessels and other elements endangered by the intervention.