Combined apparatus for imaging the inner part of a body, and method thereof

A combined apparatus for imaging an inner part of a body, comprising an integrated configuration that includes:

• a nuclear magnetic resonance imaging and displaying device, and
• an ultrasound imaging and displaying device;
• and in which the nuclear magnetic imaging and displaying device and ultrasound imaging and displaying device each comprises:
• a dedicated means for generating waves or beams which are transmitted toward the part of the body to be internally imaged;
• a dedicated means for receiving said waves or beams transmitted from the part of the body under examination or waves or beams deriving from the excitation of the part of the body under examination;
• a circuit configured to relate the information of the waves or beams transmitted from the part of the body under examination to a space position for each of a plurality of image unit elements;
• and
• a circuit configured to construct an image from the image unit elements obtained thereby, which turn the information of the received waves or beams into brightness and/or color characteristics of the individual image unit elements of the image;
• wherein the ultrasound imaging device comprises an ultrasonic probe for transmitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, and
• further comprising a magnetic structure forming a cavity for receiving the body under examination or a part thereof and adapted to receive the ultrasonic probe at the edges of the cavity and means for locating the position and/or the orientation of the ultrasonic probe relative to the body or the part thereof under examination;
• and
• wherein the magnetic structure includes a receiving coil associated thereto and said magnetic structure or receiving coil has combinations of guides or slides for displacing the ultrasonic probe in at least one direction which are associated with a tracer means for reading the position along the directions of the ultrasonic probe.