Flexible skin based patient tracker for optical navigation

A system for tracking movement of a patient during surgery comprising:

• a skin-based flexible patient tracking apparatus for surgical navigation including:
• a base layer having a first side and a second side;
• an adhesive layer on the first side of the base layer including an adhesive material configured to stick the skin-based flexible patient tracking apparatus to the patient's skin over a surgical site;
• a plurality of optical surgical tracking elements on the second side of the base layer;
• the base layer between the adhesive layer and the plurality of optical surgical tracking elements;
• and
• an outer transparent layer covering the plurality of optical surgical tracking elements;
• wherein the skin-based flexible patient tracking apparatus is formed of a material configured to be cut through with an incision during surgery to access the surgical site beneath the patient's skin;
• and
• wherein the skin-based flexible patient tracking apparatus is formed of the material configured to be stretched, wherein a separation distance between at least two optical tracking elements will increase in a stretched position;
• wherein the plurality of optical surgical tracking elements are configured such that an average position of the plurality of surgical tracking elements both before and after the incision is made through the skin-based flexible patient tracking apparatus and into the patient's skin as detected by a surgical tracking system corresponds to movement of the patient's skin when the patient tracking apparatus is secured over the surgical site.