Needle guide device and method

1. A fluoroscopic needle guide device comprising:

an adhesive layer;

a base member on said adhesive layer, comprising an upper portion, wherein said upper portion includes a threaded portion surrounding an opening in said base member;

a rotatable sphere located on said opening in said base member, wherein said rotatable sphere comprises:

a top portion having a tapered recess, wherein sidewalls of said tapered recess are smooth;

a bottom portion having an opening; and

a guide channel connecting said tapered recess to said opening in the bottom portion of said rotatable sphere;

a detachable threaded ring overlying said top portion of said rotatable sphere, wherein said detachable threaded ring comprises a threaded innermost surface and a horizontal topmost surface having an opening, wherein said threaded innermost surface interlocks with said threaded portion of said base member, and innermost sidewalls of said opening that are in direct physical contact with an outer surface of said rotatable sphere, and

a detachable alignment indicator comprising a proximal radio-opaque alignment indicator connected to a circular opening by a radio-opaque inner shaft having a cone-shaped distal portion, wherein the cone-shaped distal portion comprises smooth sidewalls, wherein said radio-opaque inner shaft passes through an opening in a bottommost surface of the cone-shaped distal portion of the detachable alignment indicator and traverses said guide channel of said rotatable sphere when the cone-shaped distal portion of the radio-opaque inner shaft is seated in said tapered recess of the rotatable sphere.

2. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 1 , wherein said proximal radio-opaque alignment indicator comprises a ring.

3. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 2 , wherein said ring of said proximal radio-opaque alignment indicator surrounds an entire outermost surface of a radio-lucent portion of a proximal portion of the detachable alignment indicator.

4. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 1 , wherein said proximal radio-opaque alignment indicator comprises a metal.

5. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 1 , wherein said base member comprises a dome shaped upper portion.

6. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 1 , wherein said opening in said base member is a circular or spherical opening.

7. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 1 , wherein said opening in the bottommost surface of the detachable alignment indicator allows a needle to exit the bottommost surface of the detachable alignment indicator and pass into said hollow guide channel of said rotatable sphere.

8. The fluoroscopic needle guide device of claim 1 , wherein said opening in the bottommost surface of the detachable alignment indicator allows a portion of the radio-opaque inner shaft to exit the bottommost surface of the detachable alignment indicator and pass into said guide channel of said rotatable sphere.

9. A method of using a fluoroscopic needle guide device comprising:

providing a base member and an adhesive layer, wherein said base member comprises an upper portion, and wherein said upper portion has a threaded portion surrounding an opening in said base member;

contacting said adhesive layer to a bottommost surface of said base member and contacting an opposing surface of said adhesive layer to a subject;

inserting a rotatable sphere comprising a top portion having a tapered recess and a bottom portion having an opening, into said opening in said base member, wherein the tapered recess comprises smooth sidewalk;

affixing a detachable threaded ring comprising a threaded innermost surface and a horizontal topmost surface having an opening to said threaded portion of said base member;

seating a detachable alignment indicator on said tapered recess of said rotatable sphere, wherein said detachable alignment indicator comprises a radio-opaque inner shaft having a cone-shaped distal portion comprising smooth sidewalls, and a first radio-opaque alignment indicator located at a proximal end of said detachable alignment indicator;

rotating the rotatable sphere within said opening in said base member using said detachable alignment indicator to align said first radio-opaque alignment indicator and said radio-opaque inner shaft with a pre-identified target in said subject such that said first radio-opaque alignment indicator and said radio-opaque inner shaft are aligned parallel relative to an incident angle of an X-ray beam; and

tightening said detachable threaded ring to prevent further rotation of said rotatable sphere.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising, after said tightening step, removing said detachable alignment indicator from said rotatable sphere.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising inserting a needle into said opening in said rotatable sphere.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein said detachable alignment indicator further comprises a second radio-opaque alignment indicator located at a distal end of said detachable alignment indicator, and wherein said second radio-opaque alignment indicator is vertically coincident with said first radio-opaque alignment indicator.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein said first radio-opaque alignment indicator, said second radio-opaque alignment indicator, said radio-opaque inner shaft; and said pre-identified target in said subject are aligned parallel relative to an incident angle of an X-ray beam.

14. The method of claim 9 , wherein a topmost surface of said rotatable sphere is located above a topmost surface of said upper portion of said base member and a bottommost surface of said rotatable sphere is located above a bottommost surface of said base member.

15. The method of claim 9 , wherein an outer surface of said rotatable sphere is in direct contact with an inner surface of said opening in said detachable threaded ring and an inner surface of said opening in said base member.