US 12,402,956 B2
Apparatus and method for guiding an instrument by a luminous pointer
Arne Hengerer, Möhrendorf (DE)
Assigned to Siemens Healthineers AG, Forchheim (DE)
Filed by Siemens Healthcare GmbH, Erlangen (DE)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/083,797.
Claims priority of application No. 21217857 (EP), filed on Dec. 27, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0200912 A1, Jun. 29, 2023
Int. Cl. A61B 34/20 (2016.01); A61B 5/055 (2006.01); A61B 10/02 (2006.01); A61B 17/34 (2006.01); A61B 90/00 (2016.01)
CPC A61B 34/20 (2016.02) [A61B 5/055 (2013.01); A61B 10/0233 (2013.01); A61B 17/3403 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2055 (2016.02); A61B 2090/3937 (2016.02)] 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for positioning a medical instrument on a patient with a magnetic resonance imaging scanner that includes a positioning aid configured to mark a predetermined position on an inner wall of a patient tunnel in a manner that is visible to a user, the medical instrument comprising a first projector configured for projecting a luminous pointer in a predetermined alignment relative to the medical instrument, the method comprising:
positioning the patient in the magnetic resonance imaging scanner such that a predetermined entry point for the medical instrument on a surface of the patient and a predetermined target point of an intervention in the patient are located in a detection area of the magnetic resonance imaging scanner;
ascertaining a predetermined alignment of the first projector relative to the medical instrument in which the luminous pointer of the first projector coincides with the positioning aid when the medical instrument is aligned parallel to a trajectory through the entry point and the target point or ascertaining a position of the positioning aid on the wall of the patient tunnel, in which the luminous pointer of the first projector coincides with the positioning aid when the medical instrument is aligned parallel to the trajectory through the entry point and the target point;
aligning the first projector or outputting coordinates that relate to a coordinate system that is attached to the inside wall of the patient tunnel in a visible manner to the user; and
projecting the luminous pointer.