Patent ID: 7852493
Filing Date: 2010-12-14
Classification: A61B

Abstract:
1. A method for optically detecting the spatial shape of bodies and body parts with partly non-visible regions, comprising the steps of: providing at least one 3D digitizer for optically detecting the spatial shape of bodies and body parts; positively mounting at least one shape-retaining measurement aid to the body parts not visible for and not measurable by the 3D digitizer such that said measurement aid includes parts protruding into a measurement space visible for the 3D digitizer, wherein on at least some points of its parts located in the visible measurement space said measurement aid is provided with marks to be evaluated by the 3D digitizer, said marks being located in a known spatial position with respect to the remaining parts of the measurement aid; said measurement aid being made of a rigid material which is fixed at the non-visible body region such that the spatial position of this non-visible body region can be calculated from the 3D digitization of the marked part of the measurement aid protruding into the measurement space; determining the spatial position of the marks of the part of the measurement aid visible for the 3D digitizer together with the spatial shape of the remaining, visible body regions; determining geometrical information of the non-visible body regions from the measured spatial position of the visible part of the measurement aid; using this geometrical information for supplementing a description of the spatial shape digitized incompletely because of the non-visible regions; and determining from the spatial position of the visible part of the measurement aid detected by the 3D digitizer and the spatial position of the visible body parts detected by the 3D digitizer, the 3D shape of the body or body part.