Patent ID: 6236743
Filing Date: 2001-05-22
Classification: A61B,A61F,G01B,G05B,G06F

Abstract:
A three dimensional digitizing system comprising:at least one probe structured and disposed to be randomly passable over a portion of a body to be mapped,said probe including an exterior housing of known dimensions,a tracking assembly, said tracking assembly including a reference element and a position element, and being structured and disposed to substantially continuously calculate a position and orientation of said position element relative to said reference element,said position element of said tracking assembly being disposed in operative association with said housing of said probe and in a fixed position relative thereto so as to provide substantially continuous reference data regarding a position and orientation of said probe,a processing assembly structured and disposed to compare said reference data regarding said position and orientation of said probe with said known dimensions of said probe so as to determine a volume relative to said reference element through which any portion of said probe is passed, andan image mapping assembly structured and disposed to store all of said volumes relative to said reference element through which any portion of said probe is passed, and to define a substantially exact shape and contour of the portion of the body to be mapped by identifying all volumes through which no portion of said probe has passed due to a physical presence of said portion of said body to be mapped.