Patent ID: 7403811
Filing Date: 2008-07-22
Classification: G06T

Abstract:
1. A method of tracking the position of an imaging head of a catheter in three-dimensional space within a human body, the method comprising: receiving a first image captured by the catheter; receiving a second image captured by the catheter, wherein the first image comprises a first data location and the second image comprises a second data location corresponding to the first data location; comparing the first and second images to determine first correlation loss data between the first and second images, wherein determining the first correlation loss data comprises determining a difference in an image property between first image data stored in the first data location and second image data stored in the second data location; determining a first rate of correlation loss between the first and second image in a direction using the first correlation loss data, wherein determining the first rate of correlation loss comprises determining a rate of change of the first correlation loss data; determining a first angle of separation between the first and second images using the first rate of correlation loss; and determining first position data for the second image, relative to the first image, using the the first angle of separation; and outputting the first position data.