Patent Document ID: 9901320
Application ID: 13325495
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method of examining a breast of a patient includes the steps of: immobilizing the breast, and while the breast is immobilized: acquiring a three dimensional image of the breast using a first imaging modality, wherein the three dimensional image of the breast acquired using the first imaging modality has a first co-ordinate space; selecting a region of interest (ROI) in a three dimensional volume based on the three dimensional image, the step of selecting including identifying coordinates of the ROI in the three dimensional volume; acquiring a plurality of images of the breast using a second imaging modality through a manually-manipulable imaging probe, wherein the plurality of images of the breast acquired using the second imaging modality have a second co-ordinate space, the second co-ordinate space different than the first co-ordinate space; tracking a movement of an imaging probe of the second imaging modality so as to obtain a second co-ordinate data of the second co-ordinate space, wherein tracking the movement of the imaging probe is performed during acquisition of the plurality of images of the breast with the second imaging modality; co-registering the second coordinate data with the first co-ordinate space via a navigation system, the navigation system configured to transform a position and orientation of a field of view of the imaging probe of the second imaging modality so that the navigation system co-registers the second coordinate data with the three dimensional image; during manual manipulation of the imaging probe during acquisition of the plurality of images of the breast with the second imaging modality, providing a cue indicating that the imaging probe is approaching the ROI identified in the three dimensional volume based on the co-registered second coordinate data and the three-dimensional image acquired by the first imaging modality; and releasing the breast from immobilization.