Patent ID: 6529617
Filing Date: 2003-03-04
Classification: A61B,G06K,G16H,Y02A

Abstract:
A non-invasive automated method for continuously controlling the re-aligning the position of an instrument relative to specific locations on a patient's body during a medical procedure, comprising the steps of:(a) generating thermal images of the patient using a non-invasive imaging device spaced from the patient prior to and during use of the instrument on the patient; (b) using a minutiae generator to identify minutiae in the vicinity of a specific location of interest on the patient from said thermal image, said minutiae corresponding with specific branch points of blood vessels of the patient; (c) generating a reference minutiae pattern for a stationary patient; (d) generating a reference position of the instrument with respect to said reference minutiae pattern; (e) detecting deviation from said reference minutiae pattern owing to movement of the patient and from said instrument reference position owing to displacement of the instrument; and (f) continuously repositioning the instrument with respect to said reference minutiae pattern to accurately position the instrument for the medical procedure.