# US 2018/0021092 A2 · Identification and calibration method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0021092 A2 - Document ID: US20180021092A2 - Status: Published application - Kind: A2 - Application number: 15/116,421 - Filed: 2014-02-05 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-05 - Assignees: Brainlab AG - Applicants: Brainlab AG - Inventors: Tanja Tausch; Stefan Wimmer - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180021092A2 ## CPC - A61B 34/20: Surgical navigation systems; Devices for tracking or guiding surgical instruments, e.g. for frameless stereotaxis - B63B 59/045: {by wrapping the submerged hull or part of the hull with an impermeable sheet (stopping temporarily leaks in hulls with impermeable sheets B63B43/16)} - A01N 25/34: Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group - B63B 59/04: Preventing hull fouling (anti-fouling paints C09D5/16) - C07D 498/18: Bridged systems - C09D 5/1625: {organic} - E02B 17/0017: {Means for protecting offshore constructions} - A61B 90/90: Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags - A61B 2017/00725: {Calibration or performance testing} - A61B 2034/207: {Divots for calibration} - B63B 2017/0045: {Caps, hoods, or the like devices for protective purposes, not otherwise provided for} - B63H 20/36: Transporting or testing stands {(hand carts for transporting outboard units B62B; measuring torque G01L3/00, measuring thrust of propellers G01L5/133, testing in general G01M); Use of outboard propulsion units as pumps}; Protection of power legs {, e.g. when not in use} - Y10T 428/1345: Single layer [continuous layer] - Y10T 428/24273: including aperture - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - B63B: SHIPS OR OTHER WATERBORNE VESSELS; EQUIPMENT FOR SHIPPING (arrangements of vessel ventilation, heating, cooling, or air-conditioning B63J2/00; floating substructures as supports of dredgers or soil-shifting machines E02F9/06) - A01N: PRESERVATION OF BODIES OF HUMANS OR ANIMALS OR PLANTS OR PARTS THEREOF (preservation of food or foodstuff A23); BIOCIDES, e.g. AS DISINFECTANTS, AS PESTICIDES OR AS HERBICIDES (preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes which kill or prevent the growth or proliferation of unwanted organisms A61K); PEST REPELLANTS OR ATTRACTANTS; PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS - C07D: HETEROCYCLIC COMPOUNDS (macromolecular compounds C08) - C09D: COATING COMPOSITIONS, e.g. PAINTS, VARNISHES OR LACQUERS; FILLING PASTES; CHEMICAL PAINT OR INK REMOVERS; INKS; CORRECTING FLUIDS; WOODSTAINS; PASTES OR SOLIDS FOR COLOURING OR PRINTING; USE OF MATERIALS THEREFOR (cosmetics A61K; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces, in general, B05D; staining wood B27K5/02; glazes or vitreous enamels C03C; natural resins, French polish, drying-oils, driers, turpentine, per se, C09F; polishing compositions other than French polish, ski waxes C09G; adhesives or use of materials as adhesives C09J; materials for sealing or packing joints or covers C09K3/10; materials for stopping leaks C09K3/12; processes for the electrolytic or electrophoretic production of coatings C25D) - E02B: HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING (ship-lifting E02C; dredging E02F) - B63H: MARINE PROPULSION OR STEERING (propulsion of air-cushion vehicles B60V1/14; specially adapted for submarines, other than nuclear propulsion, B63G; specially adapted for torpedoes F42B19/00) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract The invention relates to a data processing method for identifying a medical instrument (5) which is configured to be tracked by means of a medical tracking system (4), wherein the method is designed to be executed by a computer and comprises the following steps:—acquiring 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 (1), which comprises at least one supporting surface (2), and the medical instrument (5) which is in contact with the side or edge of the at least one supporting surface (2), respectively;—acquiring geometry data which comprise geometry information describing at least one geometrical feature for a plurality of candidate instruments;—determining, 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 (5) and the calibration tool (1). ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 1-15. (canceled) ### Claim 16 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. ### Claim 17 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. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one supporting surface restricts the relative position and/or relative movement between the calibration tool and the medical instrument contacting the at least one supporting surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the medical instrument is moved relative to the calibration tool during the step of acquiring the relative position and/or movement data, and wherein physical contact between the medical instrument and the at least one supporting surface is maintained. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the medical instrument is held in a substantially invariant position relative to the calibration tool during the step of acquiring relative position and/or movement data, and wherein physical contact between the medical instrument and the at least one supporting surface is maintained. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of acquiring the relative position and/or movement data is performed several times. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method according to of claim 21, wherein the step of acquiring the relative position and/or movement data is/are performed until only one candidate instrument from the plurality of candidate instruments remains, the at least one geometrical feature of which would allow all of the relative positions and/or movements performed up until that point. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of indicating the at least one candidate instrument for which the at least one geometrical feature which would allow all of the relative positions and/or movements performed up until that point. ### Claim 24 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, wherein the method is discontinued as soon as only one candidate instrument from the plurality of candidate instruments remains and/or wherein a signal is outputted which indicates that only one candidate instrument from the plurality of candidate instruments remains, the at least one geometrical feature of which would allow all of the relative positions and/or movements performed up until that point. ### Claim 25 (depends on 22) The method according to claim 22, further comprising the step of identifying the one remaining candidate instrument as the medical instrument on the basis of the candidate data. ### Claim 26 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein on the basis of the candidate data, tracking data which comprise tracking information describing features of the medical instrument which would allow the medical instrument to be navigated in a surgical environment are transmitted to a navigation system. ### Claim 27 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of acquiring the geometry data involves providing a directory which comprises said geometry data. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one relative movement comprises a substantially translational movement. ### Claim 29 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the at least one relative movement comprises a rotational movement. ### Claim 30 A non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium storing a computer program which, when executed on a processor of a computer or loaded into the memory of a computer, causes the computer to perform 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. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) A computer comprising the non-transitory computer-readable program storage medium according to claim 30. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) A medical instrument identification system comprising: the computer according to claim 31; a medical tracking system; and a calibration tool that is tracked by the medical tracking system and comprises at least one supporting surface which restricts the relative position and/or the relative movement between the calibration tool and a medical instrument contacting the at least one supporting surface of the calibration tool.