PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a puncture support device and method reducing a risk of injuring a blood vessel by displaying the blood vessel present in the advancing direction of a puncture needle.SOLUTION: This puncture support device captures an image of the interior of a subject in real time to acquire volume data. The device detects the location and an orientation angle of the distal end of the puncture needle, creates a puncture object cross-sectional image orthogonal to the orientation angle of the distal end of the puncture needle and a cross-sectional image of the puncture object from the acquired volume data, and a projection image projected with a blood vessel image formed by projecting a three-dimensional space starting from the location of the distal end of the puncture needle on a plane orthogonal to the orientation angle of the distal end, creates a superimposed image formed by superimposing the location of the distal end of the puncture needle, the puncture object cross-sectional image and the projection image containing the blood vessel image by using a common coordinate system and allows a display means to display the superimposed image.COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT【課題】穿刺針の進行方向に存在する血管を表示することで血管を傷つけてしまう危険性を低下させる穿刺支援装置及びその支援方法を提供する。【解決手段】被検体内をリアルタイムで撮影し、ボリュームデータを取得する。そして、穿刺針の先端の位置及び向き角度を検出し、取得したボリュームデータから、穿刺針の先端の向き角度と直交し且つ穿刺対象の断面像を含む穿刺対象断面画像と、穿刺針の先端の位置から始まる3次元空間を先端の向き角度と直交する面に投影することで血管像を投影した投影画像とを作成し、穿刺針の先端の位置と穿刺対象断面画像と血管像が含まれた投影画像とを座標系を共通にして重畳した重畳画像を作成し、表示手段に、重畳画像を表示させる。【選択図】図1
