Patent ID: 11883105
Assignee: SYNAPTIVE MEDICAL INC.
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 17:
18. A method of fabricating a system for intraoperatively tracking a medical equipment within a three-dimensional virtual space in real time, the method comprising:
providing a collinear array comprising a plurality of fiducial markers, each fiducial marker disposed at a known fixed distance relative to another fiducial marker in relation to the medical equipment, the plurality of fiducial markers comprising a plurality of active fiducial markers configured to emit a plurality of signals, each active fiducial marker comprising flashing light-emitting diode, the plurality of active fiducial markers configured to emit the plurality of signals at a distinct combination of frequencies that is distinguishable from that of another plurality of active fiducial markers of another plurality of fiducial markers to uniquely identify the medical equipment relative to another medical equipment;
providing a camera for capturing an image of the medical equipment on a single image plane, to thereby provide a captured image, the captured image comprising an image of at least some fiducial markers of the plurality of fiducial markers of the medical equipment; and
providing a processor configured to receive input from the camera and configured by a set of instructions to:
segment a plurality of representations of the plurality of fiducial markers for the medical equipment from the captured image, to thereby provide a plurality of segmented representations;
calculate a three-dimensional orientation and a position of the medical equipment using the plurality of segmented representations;
track the three-dimensional orientation and the position of the medical equipment relative to the camera; and

register the three-dimensional orientation and the position of the one medical equipment within the three-dimensional virtual space.