Fig. 2.

Custom tracking software displays multiplanar views during conventional freehand attempt toline up needle with lesion; operator is blinded to tracking display at this moment. Display of the virtual guider needle (blue line) shows the planned trajectory toward the target (red circle); this is updated in real-time. A. Axial plane shows needle off target B. Para-coronal image that includes the virtual needle does not include the red dot representing the target, illustrating that the lesion and the needle path are not in the same plane. C. “View down the needle shaft”, (or “bird’s eye view”) shows the needle tip (blue “+”) is not in line with the target lesion (red dot). (The red circle gets smaller the closer the needle tip gets to the plane of the target, during insertion, signifying distance to target or target plane.)