Patent ID: 8670816

Claim:
A method, comprising: receiving emplacement information of a plurality of needles, the plurality of needles comprising at least a first needle and a second needle; receiving emplacement information of a medical imaging device; receiving at least one image from the medical imaging device; calculating a first perspective view of the at least one image in a virtual 3D space based at least on the emplacement information of the medical imaging device with respect to a user; calculating a second perspective view of a virtual medical imaging device corresponding to the medical imaging device in the virtual 3D space based at least on the emplacement information of the medical imaging device with respect to the user; calculating a plurality of perspective views of a plurality of virtual needles corresponding to the plurality of needles in the virtual 3D space based at least on the emplacement information of the plurality of needles with respect to the user, the plurality of virtual needles comprising at least a first virtual needle corresponding to the first needle and a second virtual needle corresponding to the second needle; determining a relative angular difference between a longitudinal axis of the first virtual needle and a longitudinal axis of the second virtual needle based at least on the emplacement information of the first needle and the second needle; determining a foundational plane based at least on the emplacement information of the first needle, wherein the foundational plane is orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the first virtual needle and intersects with the first virtual needle; causing the display device to display the perspective view of the at least one image in the virtual 3D space; causing the display device to display the perspective view of the virtual medical imaging device in the virtual 3D space; causing the display device to display the plurality of perspective views of the plurality of virtual needles in the virtual 3D space; causing the display device to display in the virtual 3D space a graphical indicator between at least a portion of the second virtual needle and a target axis that is different from and parallel to the longitudinal axis of the first virtual needle, wherein the graphical indicator indicates the relative angular difference between the longitudinal axis of the first virtual needle and the longitudinal axis of the second virtual needle; and causing the display device to display in the virtual 3D space at least a portion of the foundational plane that is located between the first virtual needle and an intersection of the longitudinal axis of the second virtual needle and the foundational plane.