Method for carrying out a medical procedure using a three-dimensional tracking and imaging system

An apparatus for performing an in vivo medical procedure on an associated body, said apparatus comprising:

• at least one mobile transducer mounted to a catheter including a lumen;
• a plurality of reference transducers mounted to locations on the body, the plurality of reference transducers being distributed at positions substantially surrounding the body;
• means for energizing the at least one mobile transducer and the plurality of reference transducers such that at least one respective transducer generates a positional signal and at least another respective transducer detects the positional signal, to measure time-of-flight of the positional signal;
• means for sequentially varying the energizing of each of the at least one mobile transducer and the plurality of reference transducers according to a duty cycle such that each transducer alternates between transmit and receive modes over the course of the duty cycle;
• 3-D generating means for generating three-dimensional coordinates of the at least one mobile transducer relating to a reference frame established by the plurality of reference transducers;
• display means for generating a display indicative of a positional path followed by said catheter;
• a needle extendible from a tip of the catheter;
• and
• control means for extending the needle from the tip of the catheter and initiating a flow of fluid from the needle.