Abstract: An ultrasound probe is equipped with a transducer element array and an internally located position marker trackable by a position sensing system or the like. The position marker is supported by a movement and rotation constraining fixture. The fixture is rigidly connected to the transducer element array of the probe. The fixture constrains the position and orientation of the position marker to match a spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array in the position marker's constrained degrees of freedom. The position marker may moved along and rotated in its unconstrained degrees of freedom to match the spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. A display depicts an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and a graphical element representative of a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of the ultrasound image. The quality of the position and orientation information from the position markers is monitored, and when quality is below a quality threshold the display indicates this fact.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. Displays indicating a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and displays indicating a projection of a reference position onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer are provided. Displays indicating in real-time whether the needle is substantially within the plane of the ultrasound image are provided.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. A display depicts an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and a graphical element representative of a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of the ultrasound image. The quality of the position and orientation information from the position markers is monitored, and when quality is below a quality threshold the display indicates this fact.

Abstract: An ultrasound probe is equipped with a transducer element array and an internally located position marker trackable by a position sensing system or the like. The position marker is supported by a movement and rotation constraining fixture. The fixture is rigidly connected to the transducer element array of the probe. The fixture constrains the position and orientation of the position marker to match a spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array in the position marker's constrained degrees of freedom. The position marker may moved along and rotated in its unconstrained degrees of freedom to match the spatial reference relationship with the transducer element array.

Abstract: An ultrasound system has an ultrasound transducer equipped with a position marker and a needle equipped with a position marker. The position markers allow the position and orientation of the transducer and needle to be determined. Displays indicating a projection of the longitudinal axis of the needle onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer and displays indicating a projection of a reference position onto a plane of an ultrasound image acquired via the transducer are provided. Displays indicating in real-time whether the needle is substantially within the plane of the ultrasound image are provided.