System and method for image localization of effecters during a medical procedure

A system for displaying of an image of a patient's internal anatomy and of radio-dense effecter in a surgical field during a medical procedure, comprising:

• an imaging device for acquiring images of the surgical field;
• a tracking device for tracking the position of the radio-dense effecter within the surgical field;
• an image processor for receiving data from the device for acquiring images and from the tracking device, the image processor including a memory and a computer processor for processing the data and to generate data corresponding to a baseline image of the surgical field and an image of the radio-dense effecter in the surgical field, the image of the radio-dense effector including an image of a slug indicative of the working tip of the radio-dense effector, the processor operable to execute software to overlay the image of the radio-dense effecter on the baseline image of the surgical field with the image of the radio-dense effecter positioned relative to the image of the patient's anatomy in the same manner as the actual radio-dense effecter is positioned relative to the actual anatomy, the software further operable to move the image of the radio-dense effecter relative to the baseline image as the effecter is moved relative to the actual anatomy;
• and
• a display for receiving data from the image processor to display the overlaid images,
• wherein the image of the slug includes a central element and a second element representing a point on the radio-dense effecter offset from the working tip along a longitudinal axis of the radio-dense effecter;
• and
• wherein the orientation of the second element relative to the central element is based on the angular orientation of the radio-dense effecter relative to the surgical field.