Patent ID: 9554731
Date: 2017-01-31
CPC Classifications: A61B

Claim:
1. A method for providing patient position information, the method comprising: arranging a patient positioning device on a patient in a predefined location using a mounting element, wherein the patient positioning device is configured to determine a relative position of the patient positioning device with respect to at least one known axis of the patient; establishing, using a processor, at least one axis of reference external to the patient positioning device and the at least one known axis; indicating, using the processor, an orientation of the patient using at least the predefined location, the at least one known axis, and the at least one axis of reference external to the patient positioning device; indicating, using the processor, updated orientations of the patient over time using at least the predefined location, the at least one known axis, and the at least one axis of reference external to the patient positioning device without the use of further physical references communicating to the patient positioning device its relation to the physical reference, wherein arranging includes placing a first patient positioning device on the patient during a pre-operative preparation and identifying a horizontal reference.