System and method for hybrid tracking in surgical navigation

A method for hybrid tracking in medical navigation system, said method including:

• employing a plurality of tracking technologies for use during a medical procedure;
• determining an active tracking technology during said procedure, said active tracking technology including at least one of said tracking technologies;
• activating said active tracking technology, wherein said activating step occurs over a period of time such that a visual representation corresponding to said active tracking technology becomes more visible as a visual representation corresponding to said deactivated tracking technology becomes less visible over said time period;
• and
• wherein each tracking technology has a metric associated therewith, and, when a metric associated with a deactivated tracking technology exceeds a metric associated with an activated tracking technology, said activating step includes activating the tracking technology with the greater metric and deactivating the tracking technology with the lesser metric.

A system for optimizing an accuracy of navigation in a medical procedure, said system including:

• first and second tracking systems used in said procedure;
• a monitor measuring first and second accuracies of said first and second tracking systems, respectively;
• and
• a switch activating said first tracking system and deactivating said second tracking system when said first accuracy measurement is greater than said second accuracy measurement.