Importance

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Abstract

There is disclosed a method of positioning an interventional device in a body using a guide pivoting about a pivot point, performed by locating the spatial coordinates of a target and the pivot point, determining a third point outside of the body lying along or proximate a line extending through the target and pivot point, and aligning the axis of the guide with the third point using an imaging system. There is also disclosed a medical imaging system including a processing unit and computer software operative on the processing unit to permit an operator of the system to locate the spatial coordinates of a target point and a pivot point of a guide, and determine a third point outside of the body lying along or proximate a line extending through the target and pivot point. This medical imaging system may further include computer software operative on the processing unit to assist an operator in obtaining an image by which the axis of the guide can be aligned with the third point using an imaging system. There is also disclosed an article of manufacture formed by a computer program encoded in a carrier, wherein the program is operative on a processing unit of a medical imaging system to permit an operator of the system to locate the spatial coordinates of a target point and a pivot point of a guide, and determine a third point outside of the body lying along or proximate a line extending through the target and pivot point.

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First Claim