Patent ID: 6246898
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: A61B,A61M,G01H,G01S

Abstract:
A method of performing an in vivo medical procedure on an associated body using a 3-D tracking and imaging system, said method comprising:mounting at least one mobile transducer to a medical instrument;mounting a plurality of reference transducers to locations on the body, the plurality of reference transducers being distributed at positions substantially surrounding the body;energizing the at least one mobile transducer and the plurality of reference transducers such that at least one respective transducer generates a positional signal and at least another respective transducer detects the positional signal, to measure time-of-flight of the positional signal;sequentially varying the energizing of each of the at least one mobile transducer and the plurality of reference transducers according to a duty cycle such that each transducer alternates between transmit and receive modes over the course of the duty cycle;generating three-dimensional coordinates of the mobile transducer relative to a reference frame established by the reference transducers; andgenerating a display indicative of a positional path followed by said medical instrument.