Apparatus and method for detecting the bending of medical invasive tools in medical interventions

Apparatus for detecting the bending of a medical invasive tool during its insertion in a body, the apparatus comprising:

• an ultrasound transducer for scanning a body so as to view at least a portion of said medical invasive tool;
• a position measuring system comprising a position sensing controller, at least one of at least one position measuring component or an articulated arm being at a known position with respect to said medical invasive tool, and said at least one of said at least one position measuring component or said articulated arm being at a known position with respect to said ultrasound transducer;
• a data processor for receiving data from said position sensing controller for calculating the relative position of said medical invasive tool to said ultrasound transducer, said data processor programmed for:
• identifying on the image produced by said ultrasound the echo points or echo segments of said medical invasive tool;
• comparing the position of at least one of said identified echo points or echo segments of said medical imaging device with said calculated relative position;
• and
• based on said comparison evaluating the amount of bending of said medical invasive tool during its insertion in said body;
• and
• calculating the position of said at least one of said echo points or segments with respect to a position measuring component attached to said invasive tool;
• and
• evaluating the shape of said invasive tool based on said calculation.