Method and apparatus for guiding needles

1. A system for guiding a needle comprising:

a medical imaging transceiver, configured to generate signals representative of an internal portion of a human body;

a first needle stop having a first needle engagement surface;

a slidable needle stop having a leading edge opposing said needle engagement surface so as to form a needle gap therebetween;

said slidable needle stop being slidable so as to provide said needle gap with a variable gap width;

said first needle stop and said slidable needle stop being configured to form an open ended slot which permits a needle disposed in said needle gap to be removed from said needle gap when said needle is pivoted; and

an elongated flexible strap being elastic along a longitudinal axis, further being conformable so as to wrap around at least a portion of the medical imaging transceivers, where a shape characteristic of the medical imaging transceiver is one of a variety of shapes;

WHEREBY said first needle stop and said slidable needle stop are configured to cooperate to provide needle engaging forces upon a needle when said needle is disposed in said needle gap and simultaneously configured to permit removal of said needle from said needle gap by pivoting said needle in a direction orthogonal to a needle axis, and the first needle stop and the slidable needle stop are held in place adjacent to the medical imaging transceiver by at least the elongated flexible strap.

2. A system of claim 1 wherein said slidable needle stop is biased so as to minimize said needle gap.

3. A system of claim 1 wherein said slidable needle stop is spring biased.

4. A system of claim 1 wherein said slidable needle stop is spring biased so as to minimize said variable gap width.

5. A system of claim 1 wherein said slidable needle stop is configured to slide to a plurality of predetermined positions such that said variable gap width is different for each of said plurality of predetermined positions.

6. A system of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of detents on an interface between said slidable needle stop and a body.

7. A needle guide comprising:

a medical imaging transceiver;

a first needle stop, having a first needle engagement surface;

a second needle stop having a second needle engagement surface;

a needle receiving gap formed by said first needle receiving surface and said second needle receiving surface;

said needle receiving gap having an open end, such that a needle, having a longitudinal axis, disposed therein can be tilted in tilt direction orthogonal to the longitudinal axis and can be tilted beyond a limit of one of said first needle stop and said second needle stop; so that the needle can be displaced from said needle receiving gap;

said first needle stop and said second needle stop being configured to permit relative movement therebetween, so as to provide adjustment of forces being applied to said needle; and

an elastic belt configured to wrap around a portion of the medical imaging transceiver and to hold the first needle stop at a fixed location with respect to the medical imaging transceiver.

8. A needle guide of claim 7 wherein a biasing force is applied to one of said first needle stop and said second needle stop so that said needle tends to remain stationary unless acted upon by a force other than gravity.

9. A method of imaging comprising the steps of:

providing a medical imaging transceiver;

disposing a needle, having a longitudinal axis, in a needle guide which has an adjustable needle gap width;

the needle guide being coupled to the medical imaging transceiver having a vertical axis, via an elongated elastic belt which wraps around and conforms to an exterior surface of the medical imaging transceiver;

causing said needle to enter a human body at a first angle with respect to said vertical axis;

applying a tilting force between said needle and said needle guide to overcome a frictional force; and,

said tilting force causing a relative tilting of said needle with respect to said first angle.