Method and Apparatus for Determining a Change in Tension of a Body Surface

Abstract

A method of detecting a change in tension of a body surface during a medical procedure is provided. In some embodiments the method may be carried out without additional invasive devices or procedures being required. In one example the methodology is applied when using any type of body surface tensioning device. The tensioning device comprises fiducials that are visible to an image acquisition device. In another example of an embodiment of the current application, the methodology may be applied by attaching fiducials directly to the body surface. The relative motion of the fiducials relative to one another may be utilized to determine a change in body surface tension.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.