| CPC A61B 17/3403 (2013.01) [A61B 5/06 (2013.01); A61B 5/062 (2013.01); A61B 5/063 (2013.01); A61B 5/066 (2013.01); A61B 5/283 (2021.01); A61B 5/339 (2021.01); A61B 8/0833 (2013.01); A61B 8/0841 (2013.01); A61B 8/4254 (2013.01); A61B 8/4444 (2013.01); A61B 8/463 (2013.01); A61B 34/20 (2016.02); A61B 90/37 (2016.02); A61B 90/98 (2016.02); A61M 25/0102 (2013.01); A61M 25/0108 (2013.01); A61M 25/0127 (2013.01); A61B 2017/3413 (2013.01); A61B 2034/2051 (2016.02); A61B 2090/378 (2016.02); A61B 2090/3954 (2016.02); A61B 2090/3958 (2016.02); A61B 2562/0223 (2013.01); A61B 2562/0261 (2013.01); A61B 2562/227 (2013.01)] | 12 Claims |

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1. A guidance system, comprising:
a needle assembly including:
a needle tip on a distal end of a needle;
a needle hub on a proximal end of the needle; and
a magnetic element coupled to the needle hub, the magnetic element producing a magnetic field;
an ultrasound imaging probe including one or more sensors designed to sense the magnetic field;
a processor designed to use data relating to the magnetic field sensed by the one or more sensors to determine a position of the needle in three spatial dimensions relative to the ultrasound imaging probe; and
a display designed to depict an image of an internal portion of a patient produced by the ultrasound imaging probe and a depiction representative of the needle with respect to the image of the internal portion of the patient based on the position determined by the processor, wherein an approach to the internal portion of the patient is depicted when the needle is outside of an image area.
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