Identification and calibration method

A data processing system comprising a computer having a processor configured to execute a computer-implemented medical method for identifying a medical instrument that is tracked by a medical tracking system, the method comprising the steps of:

• acquiring, at the processor, relative position and/or movement data which comprise relative position and/or movement information describing a relative position and/or movement between a calibration tool that is tracked by the medical tracking system, which comprises at least one supporting surface, and the medical instrument which is in contact with a side or edge of the at least one supporting surface, respectively;
• acquiring, at the processor and from a database comprising datasets containing information about geometry of each of a plurality of candidate instruments, geometry data which comprise geometry information describing at least one geometrical feature for each of the plurality of candidate instruments;
• determining, by the processor and on the basis of the relative position and/or movement data and the geometry data, candidate data which comprise candidate information describing at least one candidate instrument from the plurality of candidate instruments, the at least one geometrical feature of which would allow the relative position and/or movement between the medical instrument and the calibration tool.

A computer-implemented medical method for identifying a medical instrument that is tracked by a medical tracking system, the method comprising executing, on a processor of a computer, the steps of:

• acquiring, at the processor, relative position and/or movement data which comprise relative position and/or movement information describing a relative position and/or movement between a calibration tool that is tracked by the medical tracking system, which comprises at least one supporting surface, and the medical instrument which is in contact with a side or edge of the at least one supporting surface, respectively;
• acquiring, at the processor and from a database comprising datasets containing information about geometry of each of a plurality of candidate instruments, geometry data which comprise geometry information describing at least one geometrical feature for each of the plurality of candidate instruments;
• determining, by the processor and on the basis of the relative position and/or movement data and the geometry data, candidate data which comprise candidate information describing at least one candidate instrument from the plurality of candidate instruments, the at least one geometrical feature of which would allow the relative position and/or movement between the medical instrument and the calibration tool.