Tracker-Based Surgical Navigation

A method for tracking an object in a workspace based on an image including blobs generated by a camera having a field of view including a tracker disposed relative to the object, the tracker comprising a predefined geometry of markers including a first marker arrangement and a second marker arrangement each including three of the markers in a collinear relationship, a subset of the blobs being directly generated from the markers of the tracker, and a remainder of the blobs not being directly generated from the markers of the tracker, the method comprising:

• identifying, from the blobs within the image, blob groups each including three of the blobs and satisfying a collinear criterion as candidates for having been directly generated by the markers of the first or second marker arrangements, at least one of the blob groups comprising one of the remainder of the blobs;
• differentiating the subset of the blobs from the remainder of the blobs based on the blob groups and the predefined geometry of markers;
• and
• assigning the differentiated subset of the blobs to the markers of the tracker.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium configured to be utilized with a navigation system for tracking an object in a workspace, the navigation system comprising a tracker disposed relative to the object and comprising a predefined geometry of markers, the predefined geometry of markers comprising a first marker arrangement and a second marker arrangement each including three of the markers in a collinear relationship, the navigation system comprising a camera having a view of the tracker and configured to generate an image comprising blobs, a subset of the blobs being directly generated from the markers of the tracker, and a remainder of the blobs not being directly generated from the markers of the tracker, and wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprises instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, are configured to:

• identify, from the blobs of the image, blob groups each including three of the blobs of the image and satisfying a collinear criterion as candidates for having been directly generated by the markers of the first or second marker arrangements, at least one of the blob groups comprising one of the remainder of the blobs;
• differentiate the subset of blobs from the remainder of the blobs based on the blob groups and the predefined geometry of markers;
• and
• assign the differentiated subset of blobs to the markers of the tracker.