# US 11,304,777 B2 · System and method for determining the three-dimensional location and orientation of identification markers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,304,777 B2 - Document ID: US11304777B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/409,835 - Filed: 2019-05-12 - Published: 2019-11-07 - Granted: 2022-04-19 - Earliest claimed: 2011-10-28 - Assignees: Navigate Surgical Technologies, Inc. - Applicants: Navigate Surgical Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Ehud (Udi) Daon; Martin Beckett - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11304777B2 ## CPC - A61B 90/94: coded with symbols, e.g. text - A61C 9/0046: {Data acquisition means or methods} - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - A61B 90/39: {Markers, e.g. radio-opaque or breast lesions markers} - A61C 1/082: {Positioning or guiding, e.g. of drills} - A61C 9/0053: {Optical means or methods, e.g. scanning the teeth by a laser or light beam} - A61B 2034/2055: {Optical tracking systems} - A61B 2034/2065: {Tracking using image or pattern recognition} - A61B 2090/3937: {Visible markers} - A61B 2090/3966: {Radiopaque markers visible in an X-ray image} - A61B 2090/3983: {Reference marker arrangements for use with image guided surgery} - A61C 2201/002: using colour effect, e.g. for identification purposes - A61C 2204/005: using chip tag or any electronic identification mean, e.g. RFID - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) ## Abstract The present invention relates to a tool system comprising a handheld implement having a passive vectorized tracking marker permanently integrated with the implement at a predetermined location on the implement in a predetermined orientation with respect to the implement; and a database comprising geometric information describing the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape of the tracking marker and a rotationally asymmetric pattern disposed on the tracking marker. The system may further comprise: a tracker configured for obtaining image information about the tracking marker when the tracking marker is in a field of view of the tracker; and a controller having a processor and memory, the controller in communication with the database and the tracker, the processor programmable for receiving and processing image information from the tracker; accessing the database to retrieve the geometric information; and comparing the image information with the geometric information. The handheld implement may be three-dimensionally tracked by the tracker. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A handheld implement having a three-dimensionally trackable location and three-dimensionally trackable orientation, the implement comprising a passive vectorized tracking marker permanently integrated with the implement, the vectorized tracking marker integrated into the implement at a predetermined location on the implement in a predetermined orientation with respect to the implement, the tracking marker having at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern of contrasting elements disposed on the tracking marker. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the tracking marker is monolithically integrated with the implement. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the tracking marker is permanently attached to the implement and structurally distinct from the implement. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotationally asymmetric pattern includes an identifiably unique pattern. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the at least one rotationally asymmetric pattern is demarcated by a distinct boundary. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the implement comprises: a plurality of interchangeable portions each having a working tip; and an invariant portion bearing the tracking marker. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The implement of claim 6, wherein the invariant portion of the implement is a rigid positioning and orienting portion of the implement. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The implement of claim 6, further comprising: a contactlessly interrogatable microchip disposed on the invariant portion of the implement, the microchip comprising a memory; a database of geometric information stored in the memory of the microchip, the geometric information describing: the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern; and spatial relationships between the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern and the working tip of each of the plurality of interchangeable portions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The implement of claim 7, wherein: the implement is a drill; the rigid positioning and orienting portion comprises a handle; and the interchangeable portion comprises a drill bit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the contrasting pattern elements have perimeters comprising mathematically describable curved sections. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The implement of claim 10, wherein the mathematically describable curved sections are conic sections. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The implement of claim 10, wherein the contrasting pattern elements include round dots. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the rotationally asymmetric pattern is scribed on the tracking marker. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the rotationally asymmetric pattern is engraved on the tracking marker. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the rotationally asymmetric pattern is stamped on the tracking marker. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the rotationally asymmetric pattern is embossed on the tracking marker. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, further comprising: a contactlessly interrogatable microchip disposed on the handheld implement, the microchip comprising a memory; and a database of geometric information stored in the memory of the microchip, the geometric information describing the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The implement of claim 17, wherein the implement has a working tip and the geometric information further describes the spatial relationship between the working tip and the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The implement of claim 1, wherein the rotationally asymmetric pattern comprises contrasting pattern elements, the contrasting pattern elements having colors contrasting with a color of a background of the passive vectorized tracking marker and disposed at occupiable locations within a unit cell of the pattern, the occupiable locations within the pattern being previously stored in the database. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The implement of claim 19, wherein the rotationally asymmetric pattern comprises at least a first and a second rotationally asymmetric pattern. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The implement of claim 20, wherein the second pattern is displaced on the passive vectorized tracking marker from the first pattern by a distance different from a shortest distance between occupiable locations within the first pattern and different from a multiple of the shortest distance between occupiable locations within the first pattern. ### Claim 22 A trackable tool system comprising: a handheld implement having a three-dimensionally trackable location and three-dimensionally trackable orientation, the implement comprising a passive vectorized tracking marker permanently integrated with the implement, the vectorized tracking marker integrated into the implement at a predetermined location on the implement in a predetermined orientation with respect to the implement, the tracking marker having at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern disposed on the tracking marker; and a memory comprising a database comprising geometric information describing the at least one of a rotationally asymmetric shape and a rotationally asymmetric pattern disposed on the tracking marker. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, further comprising: a tracker configured for obtaining image information about the tracking marker and having a field of view, the tracker disposable to have the tracking marker in the field of view of the tracker; and a controller having a processor and the memory, the controller in communication with the database and the tracker, the processor having a plurality of instructions stored in the memory that when executed by the processor perform the actions of: receiving and processing the image information from the tracker; accessing the database to retrieve the geometric information; and comparing the image information with the geometric information. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, wherein the tracker is a non-stereo tracker. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the tracking marker is monolithically integrated with the implement. ### Claim 26 (depends on 22) The system of claim 22, wherein the tracking marker is permanently attached to the implement and structurally distinct from the implement. ### Claim 27 (depends on 23) The system of claim 23, further comprising a contactlessly interrogatable microchip affixed to the handheld implement and wherein the database of geometric information is permanently stored in the microchip. ### Claim 28 (depends on 7) The implement of claim 7, wherein: the implement is a scalpel; the rigid positioning and orienting portion comprises a handle; and the interchangeable portion comprises a scalpel blade. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the microchip is one of a radio frequency identification microchip and a near field communication microchip. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27 further comprising an interrogative coupling in communication with the controller and the microchip. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The system of claim 30, wherein the interrogative coupling is one of a capacitive coupling, an inductive coupling, radiative coupling, and battery assisted radio frequency communication.