Patent ID: 9289264
Filing Date: 2016-03-22
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. A method for guiding an instrument, comprising: establishing, by a processor associated with a computer, a target axis that comprises a target point; defining, by the processor, a virtual haptic volume based, at least in part, on the target point and the target axis; and determining, by the processor, whether a position of a reference point of an instrument is within the virtual haptic volume; upon determining that the position of the instrument reference point is within the virtual haptic volume, determining, by the processor, an orientation angle of an axis of the instrument relative to a plane normal to the target axis; and determining, by the processor, a decrease in the orientation angle of the axis of the instrument relative to the plane normal to the target axis; decreasing, by the processor, the virtual haptic volume based on the decrease in the orientation angle of the axis of the instrument relative to the plane normal to the target axis.