Optically coupled frameless stereotactic system and method

Abstract

A system for quantitative computer graphic determination of positions on a patient's anatomy and positions on associated equipment located near the patient's anatomy in relation to anatomical data, as from CT or MR scanning. A first camera produces a quantitative electronic readout of its field-of-view which provides a determination of relative spacial coordinates of uniquely identifiable points in its field-of-view. A second camera produces a quantitative electronic readout of its field-of-view which provides a determination of relative spacial coordinates of uniquely identifiable points in its field-of-view. The two cameras are located with respect to the patient's anatomy and the associated equipment so that the fields-of-view of the cameras include both the patient's anatomy and the equipment, but are taken from different directions. A body marker is positioned with respect to the patient's anatomy at a known position relative to said patient anatomy. The body marker has known coordinates in a stereotactic coordinate system that is established relative to the patient's anatomy so that the coordinates of all identifiable points in the fields of view of the two cameras can be determined relative to the stereotactic coordinate system and related to imaging data.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.