Systems and methods for controlling autofocus operations
AssigneeSynaptive Medical Inc.
InventorsLuke William Gane, David Bruce Gallop
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for performing auto-focus in a camera is disclosed. The method includes: receiving, from a tracking system for tracking a position of a medical instrument, a signal; determining, based on the received signal, that the medical instrument is removed from a field of view of the camera; in response to determining that a continuous auto-focus mode for the camera is enabled: retrieving, from a database, a first focus distance value representing a focus distance that was most recently set with intent for the camera; and automatically updating a focus distance of the camera to the first focus distance value.
Claims20
A processor-implemented method for performing auto-focus in a camera, the method comprising:
- receiving, from an optical tracking system configured for tracking a position of a medical instrument, a signal representing an indication of a position of the medical instrument relative to the camera;
- determining, based on the received signal, that a defined point on the medical instrument leaves a field of view of the camera;
- in response to determining that the defined point on the medical instrument leaves the field of view of the camera and that a continuous auto-focus mode for the camera is enabled:
- retrieving, from a database, a first focus distance value representing a most recent focus distance determined to be stable for the camera prior to the defined point on the medical instrument leaving the field of view of the camera;
- and
- automatically updating a focus distance of the camera to the first focus distance value.
A navigation system to support a medical procedure, the navigation system comprising:
- an optical tracking system for tracking a position of a medical instrument;
- a surgical camera for imaging a target surgical site;
- and
- a processor coupled to the optical tracking system and the surgical camera, the processor being configured to:
- determine, based on a signal from the optical tracking system, that a defined point on the medical instrument leaves a field of view of the surgical camera, the signal representing an indication of a position of the medical instrument relative to the camera;
- in response to determining that the defined point on the medical instrument leaves the field of view of the camera and that a continuous auto-focus mode for the surgical camera is enabled:
- retrieve, from a database, a first focus distance value representing a most recent focus distance determined to be stable for the surgical camera prior to the defined point on the medical instrument leaving the field of view of the camera;
- and
- automatically update a focus distance of the surgical camera to the first focus distance value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.