Monolithic integrated three-dimensional location and orientation tracking marker

Abstract

A rigid positioning and orienting portion of a handheld apparatus has a three-dimensional tracking marker monolithically integrated within its structure, thereby making it possible to track the apparatus using a suitable a tracker. The tracker may track the position or orientation, or both, of the monolithically integrated tracking marker. The tracker may be a two-dimensional imaging tracker. The tracking marker may be monolithically integrated with a rigid positioning and orienting portion of the handheld apparatus during the manufacture of the rigid positioning and orienting portion of the handheld apparatus. In a surgical monitoring system the monolithically integrated tracking marker is trackable by a tracker and may have markings containing a plurality of contrasting portions arranged in a rotationally asymmetric pattern; wherein at least one of the contrasting portions has a perimeter that has a mathematically describable curved section recognizable to a controller in communication with the tracker.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.