APPARATUS FOR INSERTION OF A MEDICAL DEVICE WITHIN A BODY DURING A MEDICAL IMAGING PROCESS AND DEVICES AND METHODS RELATED THERETO

A device, system, and method for entering a medical device such as a needle into the body inside a medical imager such as a MRI scanner, CT, X-ray fluoroscopy, and ultrasound imaging, from within a body cavity (such as the rectum, vagina, or laparoscopically accessed cavity). A three degree-of-freedom mechanical device translates and rotates inside the cavity and enters a needle into the body, and steers the needle to a target point selected by the user. The device is guided by real-time images from the medical imager. Networked computers process the medical images and enable the clinician to control the motion of the mechanical device that is operated within the imager, outside of the imager or remotely from outside the imager.