Patent ID: 9418442
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: A61B,G06T

Claim Text:
1. A device-assisted method for tracking a surgical implement previously introduced into a patient, the method comprising: obtaining sequential images of the patient; using a processor circuit, probabilistically analyzing individual sections of one of the images to generate a probabilistic analysis, the individual sections selected using information about a previous position of the surgical implement as identified in a multitude of preceding images; and using the processor circuit, identifying the surgical implement in individual images at least in part using the probabilistic analysis and at least in part using information about an identification of the surgical implement in a multitude of preceding images, wherein said probabilistic analysis is based on a multitude of image characteristics from said multitude of preceding images, said image characteristics corresponding to a physical feature of said surgical implement, said image characteristics being stored in one or more databases, wherein the surgical implement is identified using the multitude of image characteristics as stored in said one or more databases, said databases receiving and storing new image characteristics, said new image characteristics being extracted from said sequential images upon being identified, said new image characteristics being further used to identify the surgical implement.