A method is described for planning intracorporeal positioning of a puncture needle to be introduced percutaneously into a patient on the basis of a puncture plan, said method comprising the following steps: a) arranging a needle guide means in a spatially fixed manner on the patient； b) generating and storing a series of cross-sectional images, each containing spatially resolved image information of the patient and of the needle guide means attached in a spatially fixed manner to the patient in a first coordinate system, using an imaging diagnostic method； c) selecting and visually displaying at least one cross-sectional image or a numerically generated cross-sectional image from the series of stored cross-sectional images； d) superimposing a virtual, positionally variable linear trajectory on the basis of the selected cross-sectional image； e) positioning the virtual linear trajectory on the basis of the puncture plan to obtain a target linear trajectory, in which the virtual linear trajectory traverses the needle guide means； f) numerically determining spatial coordinates of two separate spatial points, or traverse points, within the first coordinate system, at which traverse points the target linear trajectory traverses the needle guide means； g) transforming the spatial coordinates relating to the needle guide means and to the traverse points to a second coordinate system； and h) visually displaying the needle guide means within the second coordinate system in such a manner that the traverse points are shown visibly marked on the needle guide means.
