Patent Document ID: 7824339
Application ID: 11251435
Patent Status: 1

Claim One:
1. A method for selecting and recording biopsy sites in a body organ in real time comprising: a) obtaining a three-dimensional volume of data from a 3-dimensional imaging device producing backscattered ultrasound data of a three-dimensional region of the organ; b) obtaining a two-dimensional matrix of ultrasound data from a 2-dimensional imaging device producing additional ultrasound data of a two-dimensional sub-region of said organ, which is the same or different from the device of step a); c) positioning the two-dimensional matrix of ultrasound data in the three-dimensional volume of backscattered ultrasound data obtained in step (a); d) applying a characterization algorithm to the 3-dimensional volume of data and selecting a region in the 3-dimensional volume of data suspected of having a predetermined condition using a processor configured to determine presence of said condition; e) producing and displaying a 3-dimensional image from the 3-dimensional data and 2-dimensional matrix, and indicating on said image the identified region suspected of having a predetermined condition; f) indicating in the displayed image a position within the 2-dimensional matrix of a device poised to obtain biopsy material from a site in the organ; g) obtaining biopsy material from the device; and h) indicating in the displayed 3-dimensional image the site in the organ from which the biopsy material was obtained.