Patent ID: 8152724

Claim:
A medical device for inserting a probe percutaneously comprising: a monitor; a probe configured for being guided to a subdermal location; an ultrasound transducer housing, said housing including an ultrasound transducer for forming a sonogram of the subdermal location on the monitor; a probe guide that is attachable to said ultrasound transducer housing, the probe guide defining an opening through which the probe is capable of passing, wherein upon attachment of the probe guide to the ultrasound transducer housing, the probe guide defines a barrier between the probe in the probe guide and the ultrasound transducer housing, the barrier precluding contact between the probe in the probe guide and the housing; at least one detector integral to the ultrasound transducer housing and configured for detecting motion of the probe in the probe guide, wherein the detector is different from the ultrasound transducer and wherein upon attachment of the probe guide to the ultrasound transducer housing the detector is at a distance from the probe guide and from the probe in the probe guide the distance being at least in part due to the barrier; and a processing unit in communication with the at least one detector, the monitor, and the ultrasound transducer, the processing unit configured for creating and displaying a real time image of a virtual probe, the processing unit being programmed to analyze data from the at least one detector to calculate a relative position of the probe in relation to a reference point, the processing unit 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 processing unit being further configured for displaying on the monitor the real time image of the virtual probe overlaid on the sonogram of the subdermal location.